


Contamination: Book 1

by Lightfyre



Series: Contamination [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-01-04 12:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 36,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12169149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightfyre/pseuds/Lightfyre
Summary: In a land far away from the original four Clans, there are three called ForestClan, LakeClan, and CliffClan. These feral cats are the descendants of pet cats that fled from an area where a great disaster happened. In a time of trouble, StarClan tells the ForestClan medicine cat that a young ForestClan warrior named Lynxheart must travel to the place where the disaster once occured, known as the Dead Place. Cats are still living there, and one of them is destined to take up an important rank in ForestClan. As Lynxheart sets out on his journey, however, a great threat to all the Clans slowly emerges from the shadows...





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in the northern Ukrainian wilderness. The "Dead Place" is actually the Chernobyl reactor and the surrounding ghost town of Pripyat, the disaster being the nuclear meltdown that happened there.
> 
> Also, I will be providing YouTube links to tunes to play in the background to add the mood of certain chapters.

** **

** Allegiances **

 

**ForestClan**

Leader: Wolfstar- large, longhaired black tom with yellow eyes  
Deputy: Foxshade- black she-cat with a dark red undercoat and amber eyes  
Medicine Cat: Hemlocktail- gray and white tom with green eyes  
Messenger Cat: Runningdeer- slender brown tabby and white tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

Acornfall- light brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice, Thornpaw  
Buckleap- dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes  
Doeflight- pale brown she-cat with amber eyes  
Eagledawn- ginger she-cat with amber eyes  
Falconflight- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Goldenleaf- golden tabby and white tom with amber eyes  
Grayspots- spotted gray tom with green eyes  
Lakefrost- gray tabby she-cat with frosty blue eyes  
Apprentice, Cherrypaw  
Lilyfrost- yellow tabby and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Lynxheart- golden tabby tom with black-tipped ears and tail, and amber eyes  
Martenwhisker- pale brown tom with amber eyes  
Mistspeckle- spotted gray she-cat with green eyes  
Patchmoon- white tom with black patches and tail, and yellow eyes  
Seedblaze- light brown tabby and white tom with green eyes  
Spidershade- long-legged, slender black tom with yellow eyes  
Starlingwind- mottled pale brown tabby tom with green eyes  
Sunwhisker- yellow tabby tom with amber eyes  
Tulipwhisker- red, black, and white tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  
Yellowfox- longhaired yellow tom with a bushy tail tipped with white and amber eyes

Apprentices:

Cherrypaw- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Thornpaw- ginger tabby tom with amber eyes 

Queens:

Dustycloud- longhaired pale brown she-cat with amber eyes  
Mother to Beechkit (white she-cat with pale brown patches and blue eyes), Firkit (dark tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes), Sprucekit (dark brown tom with black patches, a white chest, and yellow eyes), and Walnutkit (pale brown tom with a white chest and amber eyes) 

Elders:  
Blackthorn- small, skinny black tom with amber eyes  
Branchclaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Hawknose- large brown tabby and white tom with amber eyes  
Mistletail- spotted gray and white she-cat with green eyes  
Suntail- ginger she-cat with amber eyes 

 

 **LakeClan**

Leader: Shellstar- white she-cat with dark brown flecks and pale yellow eyes  
Deputy: Loontail- dark brown tabby tom with a thick, feathery red tail and amber eyes  
Medicine Cat: Grebefeather- dark tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  
Messenger Cat: Peachglow- pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors:

Firecreek- dark ginger she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice, Flashpaw  
Lampreytail- light gray tabby tom with a long tail and yellow eyes  
Sunnymist- white she-cat with yellow and silver tabby stripes and blue eyes 

Apprentices:

Flashpaw- ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Queens:

Icewillow- longhaired pale gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Mother to Cranekit (longhaired gray tabby and white tom with blue eyes) and Ripplekit (light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes)

 

**CliffClan**

Leader: Drizzlestar- mottled gray tom with blue eyes  
Deputy: Robinsong- pale brown she-cat with amber eyes  
Medicine Cat: Grousetail- longhaired gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
Messenger Cat: Skywind- longhaired light brown tom with sky blue eyes

Warriors:

Bearpelt- huge brown tom with amber eyes  
Bramblesnow- dark brown tabby she-cat with a white face and blue eyes  
Cragclaw- slender dark brown tom with amber eyes  
Gustfur- light gray tom with a ruffled pelt, deeply notched ear, and blue eyes  
Ivyshine- silver tabby she-cat with a shiny pelt and green eyes 

Queens:

Aspendust- gray she-cat with sandy colored patches and green eyes 

 

 **Cats outside the Clans:**

Aleks- light brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Sriblo- silver tabby tom with blue eyes  
Sutinky- dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music to listen along to this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsVT_-RsONg

The forest hummed with life as the morning sun shone through the leaves, casting a green dappled glow on the ground. A cat was walking along, carrying a limp robin in his jaws. He breathed in the myriad of scents as he stepped through the thick, dew-laden grass. He then came to a small pond, and paused to admire his reflection in the clear water. His fur was golden and white, with tabby stripes running along his pelt. His ears and tail were tipped with black, and his eyes shown with a bright amber light. 

“Boo!” 

“Aaah!” The tom stumbled into the pond, dropping the robin.

“You are too easy to sneak up on.” 

He turned to see his sister standing there, purring with amusement. 

“Tulipwhisker! You made me drop my fresh kill in the water!” he spat. 

“I doubt it’ll ruin it.” Tulipwhisker licked at her paw. Her pelt was a patchwork of red, black, and white. 

“You’re like a kit,” her brother growled as he lifted the robin out of the pond.

“We’ve been warriors for six moons now. You should be able to tell when someone is sneaking up on you, Lynxheart,” Tulipwhisker retorted. 

“Whatever.” Lynxheart shook the water from his fur and went to rejoin the cats that were out hunting. 

“Thinking about joining LakeClan, are we?” snorted a skinny black tom named Spidershade, noticing Lynxheart’s damp fur.

“Shut up,” Lynxheart growled. 

They headed back to their camp, which was a clearing encircled by tall, thick oak trees. Bushes and bramble thickets were scattered throughout the place, which made suitable dens. Several more cats were out and about, all of different, ages, sizes, and colors. Some were lying in the grass, chatting and grooming each other. Others came to greet the returning hunting patrol. Over by a briar patch that served as a nursery, a long-haired pale brown she-cat was watching her four kits tumble and play. A few elderly cats were curled up asleep in a patch of sunlight. And watching over them all from on top of an oak branch was Wolfstar, the leader of ForestClan. The large cat looked like a tall shadow, his long, night black fur ruffled by a slight breeze. He seemed quite intimidating, but his yellow eyes shone with warmth as he looked down at his Clan. 

“Wow! That’s a huge robin you’ve caught!” Lynxheart’s mother, Foxshade, came over to him, giving his prey an impressed look. “But why is it wet?”

“Tulipwhisker snuck up behind me and made me fall in the pond,” Lynxheart grumbled.

Foxshade sighed. “I need to have a talk with her. She thinks she’s mature for her age, but she isn’t.” 

Not only was Foxshade Lynxheart and Tulipwhisker’s mother, but also the deputy of ForestClan, and Wolfstar’s sister. Like him, her fur was black, only much shorter and sleeker. She had a dark red undercoat, giving her pelt a strange but beautiful glow. 

As Lynxheart put his robin on the pile of fresh-kill in the middle of the camp, his friend, Grayspots, came over.

“Wow!” he exclaimed. “That’s the biggest robin I’ve ever seen!”

“Fortunately, it was slow and fat, and easy to catch,” said Lynxheart.

Graypots licked at his spotted gray coat, his green eyes narrowing as he grumbled, “I wish I could have been out hunting with you. Starlingwind and I had to pull ticks off the elders because the apprentices are out training.” 

Lynxheart purred. “They’re not so bad,” he said. “They tell great stories.” 

“Well, you’re right about that, but Branchclaw is so grouchy,” Grayspots murmured.

Just then Grayspots’s mother Mistspeckle walked by. The young tom frowned, noticing the concerned look in the she-cat’s eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“Runningdeer hasn’t come back yet,” she said. She was talking about her brother, ForestClan’s messenger cat, who gone to LakeClan to deliver a message. 

“It takes a whole day to get there and back,” Grayspots reminded his mother. 

“But he left early yesterday, and he's still not back,” said Mistpeckle. “He’s never taken this long to get back before. I’m going to go ask Wolfstar to send out a patrol to look for him.”

Lynxheart frowned as Mistpeckle made her way to the oak that Wolfstar was sitting in, which was dubbed the Leader's Oak. 

“That’s odd,” he said. “Runningdeer is very fast—he should be back by now.”

Grayspots rolled his eyes. “My mother worries about everything,” he said. “It rained pretty heavily last night and early this morning, I bet Runningdeer had to stop to take shelter. He’ll probably be back soon.” 

“What’s this about Runningdeer?” 

Mistspeckle’s other brother, Helmocktail, came walking by with some herbs in his jaws. The gray and white tom was the medicine cat of ForestClan. 

"I asked Runningdeer to go to LakeClan to ask their medicine cat if she has a certain type of herb I'm short on," said Hemlocktail. "Has he not returned?"

“No," said Grayspots. "Mistspeckle thinks he's gone missing." 

“Hmmm,” said Hemlocktail. He narrowed his eyes, which were a rich green, like Mistspeckle’s and Grayspots’s.

“I think he was probably delayed by the rain,” said Grayspots.

“Perhaps,” said Hemlocktail. “I’m more worried about Blackthorn. He’s been complaining of a sharp pain in his belly all morning.”

Lynxheart frowned. The black furred elder had been ill for some time, and none of Hemlocktail’s herbs seemed to be doing anything to help him.

“Seems like he’ll be going down the tunnel soon,” murmured Grayspots as Hemlocktail went over to the elder’s den, where Blackthorn was lying just outside the entrance. 

Lynxheart shuddered. The “tunnel” was a passageway at the far end of the camp, made of spindly trees that curved inward to give the appearance of a tunnel. When a cat died, his or her body was carried by their Clan mates down the passageway, which led to a clearing that was used for burying bodies. Some cats in ForestClan claimed that they could sense the presence of spirits there—not that Lynxheart would know, it wasn’t as if he went there very often, anyways. The clearing was beautiful, with bright colored flowers sprouting up between the graves, but it still gave Lynxheart the creeps. 

“Come on, let’s go find somewhere to eat,” he said, choosing a plump squirrel from the fresh kill pile. As he turned around, he nearly bumped into a white tom patched with black. The tom narrowed his yellow eyes and said, “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to watch where you’re going.”

“Sorry, Patchmoon,” Lynxheart murmured. The black and white tom gave a huff, then picked up a few mice and carried it over to his mate, Dustycloud, who was watching her kits play. Patchmoon was not Lynxheart’s favorite Clan mate. He was rather impatient, snobbish, and aloof. Dustycloud and their kits were the only cats he was never rude to. 

As Lynxheart and Grayspots shared the squirrel, the apprentices, Thornpaw and Cherrypaw, came back with their mentors, Acornfall and Lakefrost. The two young cats looked worn out, panting as they made their way into the camp.

“You young’uns been working hard?” rasped an elder named Mistletail, raising her head. 

“Way too hard,” Thornpaw gasped, lying down in the grass as his ginger tabby flank heaved in and out. “I think I’ve pushed myself to the brink of death.”

“Quit being dramatic,” Cherrypaw rolled her eyes at her brother as she licked at her rumpled light brown tabby fur.

Mistletail purred. “When I was an apprentice, I thought training was too hard as well,” she said. “But it really does pay off in the end.”

Mistletail’s mate, Hawknose, came over to her, muttering, “Blackthorn doesn’t look so good.”

Mistletail flattened her ears in sadness. 

“Our mother says that Blackthorn wasn’t born here in ForestClan,” said Cherrypaw. 

“That’s right,” said Mistletail. “He was once a lone cat named Chornyy. He wandered upon our territory, all alone and with no friends. He was happy to join ForestClan, although he was already old, so it wasn’t long before he had to retire to the elder’s den.”

“Where did he come from?” Thornpaw asked curiously, sitting up.

“Well, he’s never talked much about his past, but he says he once lived in the Dead Place,” said Mistletail. 

Lynxheart swiveled his ears to hear the elder better. The Dead Place was part of the oldest, most famous legend among the Clans. Everyone was told from the time they were tiny kits about the history of their home—how long ago, their ancestors lived in a place beyond the forest, with creatures called Twolegs. Then, a great disaster had struck. An explosion had lit the sky on fire, and the air turned bad and killed all the plants. The Twolegs fled, leaving the cats behind in what would become to be known as the Dead Place. They ran away far into the woods, where the spirits of deceased cats appeared to them. They called themselves StarClan, the guardians of several Clans of living cats in a faraway land. They’d traveled a long way to help the refugee cats, and guided them into forming ForestClan, LakeClan, and CliffClan. These Clans started out small at first, but grew much larger overtime. The first cats to live in these lands were now a part of their own StarClan, watching down over their descendants. 

“But how can Blackthorn be from the Dead Place? I thought nothing could live there anymore,” said Thornpaw.

“We didn’t think so either,” said Mistletail. “But according to him, the plants there have started to grow back. There are mice and other prey to be found there too, which Blackthorn lived off of. But it’s still a very quiet, deserted place.” 

“All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around the Leader’s Oak for a Clan meeting,” Wolfstar’s deep voice rumbled throughout the clearing. 

Lynxheart and Grayspots curiously joined the crowd that formed around the big tree. Wolfstar looked down at his Clan, a troubled look in his yellow eyes. 

“Runningdeer has not returned from LakeClan yet,” he said. “He is taking too long to return. We must send out a patrol to search for him.”

Anxious muttering rippled through the crowd. 

“Foxshade will lead this patrol,” Wolfstar continued. “She will choose who to go with her.”

“But how do we get to LakeClan?” one warrior called out. “Most of us have never been there.” 

“Head for the field where Gatherings are held, and then head west,” said Wolfstar. “If you keep traveling straight on, you’ll eventually reach their territory." 

“We might find Runningdeer before we get there,” Foxshade spoke up. “Either way, we’ll probably be out for a sunrise or two.” 

“Can we go?” Thornpaw called up to Wolfstar.

The leader shook his head. “This mission could be dangerous. It’s best if you and Cherrypaw stay here.”

“Mouse dung,” Thornpaw growled under his breath.

Foxshade chose Lynxheart’s father Goldenleaf, Mistspeckle, and a yellow tabby tom named Sunwhisker. Then, she stopped in front of Lynxheart.

“Can I come too!?” he gasped. 

Foxshade nodded. 

Lynxheart bounded alongside the patrol as they gathered together at the entrance of the camp. He was so excited—he’d only left ForestClan’s territory a few times, for Gatherings, but he’d never been any further than the field where the Clans met every four moons. 

“Alright everyone!” said Foxshade. “Let’s head out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Chornyy" is the Ukrainian word for black


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music to go along with this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJq9O_Bd4Ns

Lynxheart breathed in the warm scents of green-leaf as he walked with the search patrol. He loved the forest so much—it was so vast and full of wonders, and he and his Clan mates had it all to themselves. Since the Clans were spread out so far apart, they almost never trespassed on one another’s territory. They preferred to keep to themselves, anyways, although Lynxheart enjoyed getting to see LakeClan and CliffClan at Gatherings.

The patrol picked up a stale trace of Runningdeer’s scent, following it across a creek, along an ancient wooden structure that lay over a deep chasm, and past several other landmarks they knew well. After a long time, the trees began to thin out, giving way to a huge open field. By then, twilight had fallen. The tall grass swayed in the gentle breeze, glowing with a reddish tint as the sun slipped below the horizon. In the distance, a tall, rocky cliff towered above the field, which was where CliffClan made their home. Lynxheart couldn’t see it from here, but he knew that there was a cavern at the bottom of the cliff, where the medicine cats would go to communicate with StarClan. 

“We should rest at the Gathering place tonight,” said Foxshade. “When the sun rises, we’ll keep following Runningdeer’s trail.”

“I kept hoping we’d run into him in the forest, but…we haven’t.” Mistspeckle’s voice was tight with worry.

“I’m sure we’ll find him soon,” Sunwhisker reassured her. 

The sky was dark by the time the cats reached the corner of the field where Gatherings were held, near the base of the cliff. Here, there was a wide circle of shorter grass, where the Clans would gather around. Three tall stones sat at the center of the circle, where the leaders would speak from during Gatherings. Lynxheart panted, his legs aching from walking so far. Because the distance between the three Clans was so great, Gatherings were only held every four moons. 

The five cats settled down in the clearing, sharing tongues as a field of stars appeared in the sky, twinkling brightly. Mistspeckle was unable to rest, pacing around nervously and climbing on top of the stones. 

“Wow, she’s really upset,” Lynxheart murmured to Foxshade, who he lay beside. “Then again, I guess I would be too, if Tulipwhisker was missing.”

Foxshade nodded, and then murmured back, “Poor Mistspeckle has been anxious about everything for quite a while…ever since her apprentice died.”

“What!?” Lynxheart gasped. “What apprentice?” 

“Shh, keep your voice down.” Lynxheart’s father, Goldenleaf murmured from the other side of him. His fur was golden tabby and white, just like his own. 

“She doesn’t like to talk about it, but before you were born, she had an apprentice named Finchpaw,” Goldenleaf whispered. “He was Eagledawn and Falconflight’s littermate. One day, when they were out on patrol, Finchpaw wandered away from Mistspeckle, and he was killed by a fox. Ever since then, she’s worried that something will happen to another cat close to her.”

“Oh,” said Lynxheart quietly. It made sense now, why the speckled gray she-cat was always so overprotective of her family. He thought back to his days in the nursery. Mistspeckle had tried to keep Grayspots and his siblings from going outside until they were two moons old, but they became so restless that she’d had to let them venture out of the nursery before then. 

_I hope nothing bad has happened to Runningdeer,_ Lynxheart thought as he drifted off to sleep.

As soon as the tip of the sun appeared over the horizon, Mistspeckle nudged her Clan mates awake. Blinking the weariness out of his eyes and yawning, Lynxheart followed the patrol out of the clearing and towards the west, in the direction of LakeClan’s territory. They passed a pond, which they took a drink from. The deep red sunrise gave a rosy tint to the water. For the first time since they’d left the ForestClan territory, Lynxheart felt a sense of unease. The red pool almost seemed like some sort of omen, resembling a huge puddle of blood. Shaking drops of water from his whiskers, he reminded himself that he wasn’t a medicine cat and there was no way he could know if this was actually an omen. It was probably just his imagination getting carried away. 

They continued onward, across more open ground and into another forest, although this one wasn’t as thick as the one back home. Scrawny aspen and fir trees grew around here, rather than the oaks and pines in ForestClan territory. There was less grass here, and the ground had a slightly sandy feel to it. A breeze brought a trace of something stinky to Lynxheart’s nostrils.

“Ugh!” he said, screwing up his nose. “What is that?”

“There must be a swamp nearby,” said Foxshade. “They’re big, stagnant pools of muddy water. There’s quite a bit of them near LakeClan's territory." 

“Blech,” said Lynxheart. “I’m glad we don’t have any where we live.”

Changing the subject, he asked his mother, “Have you ever been to LakeClan?”

Foxshade nodded. “I did once, when their old leader died, and Wolfstar and I went to pay our respects. The lake is so huge—you wouldn’t believe it! Their warriors eat the fish that swim in it.”

“Gross! Why would anyone want to eat fish!?” Lynxheart exclaimed. 

Foxshade shrugged. “It tastes good to them.” 

“They probably think we’re odd for eating only land creatures,” Goldenleaf purred. “All the Clans have their own customs.”

“Yeah, I know that, but I just can’t imagine eating fish,” said Lynxheart.

“How do you know you don’t like fish if you’ve never tried it?” Goldenleaf flicked his son’s shoulder with his tail.

“Well, you do have a point there,” Lynxheart agreed.

Suddenly, a new scent came to his nostrils—one that made his fur rise along his spine. The others had noticed it too, as they stopped and flattened their ears.

“That’s blood!” Mistspeckle gasped. “It’s cat blood!”

“Wait!” Foxshade cried to the mottled gray she-cat as she ran ahead of the others. They hurried after her, losing sight of her as she vanished behind a clump of boulders. Then, she screamed. Mistspeckle’s wail made Lynxheart jump a tail length into the air and unsheathe his claws. 

_“NOOOO!!!”_

Heart pounding at the agony in Mistspeckle’s voice, Lyxnheart followed his parents and Sunwhisker, cautiously stepping around the boulders, where he stopped dead in his tracks.

A few fox lengths away lay Runningdeer. His brown tabby and white pelt was torn with massive, gaping wounds. Bits of red, pulpy flesh and tufts of fur were scattered everywhere. A wide puddle of dried blood stained the grass beneath him, and his amber eyes stared blankly at the sky, his jaws parted open in a silent scream.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune for this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMvHTlWyxH0

Lyxnheart trembled, unable to believe what he was seeing. He stumbled closer to Runningdeer and saw the messenger cat’s entrails were spilling out from a slash that ran all the way across his stomach. Lynxheart vomited into the grass. 

“Runningdeer…Runningdeer, no, please.” Mistspeckle’s voice was very quiet now. She nudged her brother’s head with her own, pleading for him to wake up.

“Great StarClan, what could have done this?” Sunwhisker breathed. 

“It looks like a large predator got to him,” said Goldenleaf, who looked about ready to vomit himself. “Perhaps it was a wolf, or a bear.” 

“Wolves and bears aren’t common in this part of the land, though,” murmured Foxshade. Her voice was calm, but the tip of her tail was trembling. “And if a predator wanted to eat him, it would have taken the body back to its den or picked it clean to the bones, not just attacked him and left him there.” 

“Yeah…and I can’t pick up the scent of any animal,” Sunwhisker whispered hoarsely. 

Mistspeckle collapsed, letting out a weak moan. 

“Oh, StarClan, why…” 

 

Shocked gasps and yowls rang out among the ForestClan warriors as the patrol carried Runningdeer’s mangled body into the camp. Dustycloud ordered her kits into the nursery, not wanting them to see the grisly sight. The sky had become very overcast, with the red light of dusk glowing eerily between the dark gray clouds. The elders licked the blood from Runningdeer’s pelt and groomed his torn fur the best they could, but the fallen messenger cat still looked horrific. Hemlocktail walked around the camp, offering his Clan mates poppy seeds to calm their shock, but his green eyes were filled with pain, frequently looking back towards his slain brother. They all sat vigil for Runningdeer that night, and at dawn, Mistspeckle and Hemlocktail carried his limp body through the tunnel of spindly trees as the whole Clan followed them to the burial site. Lynxheart had been through a few of these ceremonies before, for elders that had passed away, but never for a young, healthy cat. He shuddered as they reached the end of the tunnel, sitting down and silently watching his Clan mates dig a hole to lay Runningdeer to rest in. His eyes had been closed, but fear and pain still lingered on his face from his last moments. 

When the burial was over, Lynxheart stumbled back towards the warrior’s den. He was exhausted from the long journey and the nasty shock, and just wanted to sleep. However, Grayspots came over to talk to him.

“I’ve never seen wounds like that before,” the young warrior breathed, his green eyes wide with horror. “What do you think killed him?” 

Lynxheart shrugged. “We couldn’t pick up the scent of any predator,” he mumbled. 

“That’s so weird,” Grayspots whispered. 

Suddenly, Wolfstar called for a Clan meeting. Lynxheart sighed—sleep would have to wait. He trudged over to the crowd and slumped down next to Foxshade, who gave her son a comforting lick between the ears. 

“Who will be the messenger cat now?” Thornpaw asked loudly.

“Hush! Let Wolfstar speak,” hissed his mother, Eagledawn. 

“I know many of you are wondering that,” Wolfstar replied. “Plenty of you are fast runners, but I am not sure which one to choose. Perhaps StarClan will tell us who they think should succeed Runningdeer.”

With a pause, the leader added, “In the meantime, I will send a patrol to LakeClan to warn them that there is a dangerous creature near their territory.”

“But we can’t risk losing more cats!” Mistspeckle wailed. 

“Sending a group there is safer than sending one cat,” said Wolfstar. “Besides, I would hate for the same to happen to LakeClan’s messenger cat.” 

Suddenly, a raspy voice spoke up.

“I think I know what killed Runningdeer.”

All eyes turned to Blackthorn, who was sitting at the edge of the crowd. The skinny, small elderly cat slowly made his way to the center, looking up at Wolfstar. 

“What do you mean, Blackthorn?” the leader asked.

Blackthorn shuddered. Somehow, this seemed to be troubling for him to say. 

“I…I know I haven’t said much about my past,” the old tom wheezed. “I didn’t want to talk about it, but after what’s happened…I think I should.” 

Blackthorn took a deep breath, and then said, “Back when I was living in the Dead Place…there were more cats than just me. I’ve been a stray most of my life, but eventually, I came across the Dead Place, where there was a big group of cats living among the ruins. They took me in…they were like a family to me.” Blackthorn let out a cough, then continued. “The leader was a tom named Timofey…I respected him at first, but after a while, I came to realize what the group was really about.”

Blackthorn made a choking noise, as if coughing up a hairball. Another elder, named Suntail, came over and gently stroked his back with her tail, encouraging her den mate to continue. 

“These cats, they…they called themselves the Shadow Seekers, and they worshipped these…things.” Blackthorn’s voice trembled. “They called them the Dark Ones. I didn’t think they were real at first, until I saw one…it was this enormous black creature, with glowing red eyes. Timofey was talking to it. I didn’t see its mouth moving, but I could hear this awful, whispery voice coming from it…”

Blackthorn coughed again. “The Dark Ones claim to have been born when the disaster happened at the Dead Place long ago. Whatever made the air turn bad back then…it still lingers around, and gives them power. They claim to have been cats before the disaster…but I don’t know if they are, they don’t look anything like cats. They promised us all an eternal life if we stayed there in the Dead Place and respected them as our superiors. They mostly stayed hidden, but now and then, I could hear one…especially at night.” The elder shuddered. 

“The old cat’s got cobwebs in his brain,” Lynxheart heard Thornpaw whisper to Cherrypaw. A few other cats seemed suspicious, but most of them were listening intently. 

“One day, though…I was out on my own, and I saw a cat I knew not too far off. Suddenly, a Dark One leapt out of nowhere…it moved so fast, it was just a black blur. Then, as soon as it came, it left. The cat lay there dead, bleeding from huge, horrible wounds.” 

Shocked gasps rang out through the crowd. 

“Are you saying that one of these monsters has come near the Clans!?” Dustycloud pinned back her ears in fear, sweeping her kits close to her with her bushy tail.

“Only a Dark One could leave wounds like Runningdeer’s,” said Blackthorn quietly. “And they don’t have any scent, either, so that only proves further that one attacked him.” 

“I don’t want to get eaten by a monster!” wailed one of Dustycloud’s kits.

“Enough!” That growl came from Patchmoon, who walked up to Blackthorn, narrowing his yellow eyes at the elder.

“Blackthorn, I believe that you’re being sincere, but I don’t believe your story. Perhaps your old age is messing with your head.”

“It is true, I swear!” Blackthorn croaked. “I may be dying, but I know my head is clear!”

“As difficult as this is to believe, it would explain a lot,” said Suntail, defensively standing between Blackthorn and Patchmoon. 

“That she-cat that was killed…had been talking badly about the group. She wanted to leave,” said Blackthorn. “Timofey said she got the punishment she deserved, for disrespecting the Dark Ones. I fled that night, into the woods…and as I ran, I heard a Dark One behind me, screeching at me to come back.” 

Several cats gasped and bristled. 

“I don’t know how it didn’t catch me, but I kept running and running until I could no longer hear it.” Blackthorn panted, as if telling this story had exhausted him.

“I knew it was a bad idea to take in a rogue.” That growl came from another elder, named Branchclaw. “These monsters have followed Blackthorn into the Clan territories!”

“How can you say that!?” Suntail hissed. “Blackthorn is a good friend to us all. And if these things were specifically after him, they would have attacked our camp when he first came here.”

“We have no reason to doubt Blackthorn’s story,” Wolfstar rumbled from up in the oak tree. “There’s so little we know about the world beyond our territories, especially the Dead Place.”

“Thank you, Wolfstar.” Blackthorn dipped his head to the leader. “But…I’m not sure what we can do to defend ourselves against the Dark Ones. They’re unlike any creatures I’ve seen before.” 

“I should go to the Starlit Pool, to talk to StarClan about this,” said Hemlocktail.

Wolfstar nodded. “Bring someone with you,” he said. “Until we know for sure if we are safe, no one is to go out of the camp alone.” 

Lynxheart just then realized that his paws had been quivering while he’d listened to Blackthorn’s story. Up above, a crow soared over the clearing, cawing loudly, washing a sense of dread over the young warrior.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ForestClan family tree:
> 
> https://i.imgur.com/vEUB3Q5.png

Lynxheart yawned and stretched at the entrance to the warrior’s den. He felt somewhat better now that he’d had some sleep. He looked around the camp, which was nearly deserted. Foxshade had left with a patrol right after the Clan meeting yesterday to travel to LakeClan and tell them the news of Runningdeer’s death. A few more warriors had left at dawn to escort Hemlocktail to the Starlit Pool. Others were out patrolling or hunting. 

Lynxheart headed over to where Grayspots and his brother Starlingwind were sharing a sparrow. He passed the nursery on the way, where Dustycloud and Patchmoon were encouraging their smallest kit to come outside and play with her litter mates. The poor thing had been hiding ever since she’d heard Blackthorn’s story.

“There are no monsters here in the camp, Beechkit,” said Dustycloud.

“But what if they find our camp?” Beechkit stuck her little brown and white head out, her blue eyes round with fear. 

“I won’t let anything hurt you,” Patchmoon soothed. Lowering his voice, he added, “I doubt these monsters are real, anyways.”

Lynxheart looked over to the elder’s den, where Blackthorn was sharing tongues with Suntail by the entrance. The old black tom looked quite tired, his eyes partially closed.

“I’m worried about Mother,” Lyxnheart heard Starlingwind say to Grayspots as he approached the brothers. “She’s been in the burial place all day, sitting by Runningdeer’s grave.”

“She just needs time to grieve,” said Grayspots. “He was her brother, after all. I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if you or Lakefrost died.”

“Well, if you died, I wouldn’t be kept awake by your snoring at night anymore,” Starlingwind purred.

“Hey!” Grayspots growled, flattening his ears.

“I’m joking,” said Starlingwind. “Of course I’d be sad. I’m just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Oh, hey Lynxheart.” Grayspots noticed his friend was standing there. “Did you have a good rest?”

“Fortunately, yeah,” said Lynxheart. Dropping his voice to a murmur, he said, “Do you two believe Blackthorn’s story?”

“Well, I do agree there is some sort of unusual creature out there,” Grayspots murmured back. He shuddered. “No animal I know of could have ripped apart Runningdeer’s body like that.” 

“Who do you think will replace him?” said Starlingwind. “I can run pretty fast." 

“Yeah, as fast as a turtle," Grayspots snorted. Starlingwind hissed and swatted at his brother. 

The three of them lay around, enjoying the warm sun, sharing tongues and making jokes. As the day wore on, more warriors came gradually streaming into the camp, depositing fresh-kill on the pile. Grayspots and Starlingwind’s father, Acornfall, came back from training Thornpaw and walked over to his sons with a stern look.

“You two were supposed to be guarding the camp,” he said. 

“Oh…oops,” said Grayspots sheepishly. 

“There is something out there that is hunting cats,” growled Acornfall. “This is no time to be goofing off.” 

“Typical toms,” said Grayspots’s sister, Lakefrost, rolling her eyes at her brothers.

“Yeah, well you’re sexist!” Starlingwind retorted. 

The siblings’ bickering was suddenly interrupted as Hemlocktail suddenly walked into camp with Seedblaze and Falconflight, the warriors who had escorted him to the Starlit Pool. 

“Did StarClan speak to you?” Mistspeckle asked, coming up to him. 

“Yes, they did,” said Hemlocktail. “Where’s Wolfstar? I need to talk to him.”

“He’s in his den,” said Mistspeckle. “Why, is something the matter?” 

“No, everything’s fine. But Wolfstar and I should probably talk in private.” Although his voice was calm, anxiety showed in the medicine cat’s green eyes as he headed over to the Leader’s Oak and scrambled up the trunk to where Wolfstar made his den out of an old owl’s hollow. 

“I wonder what StarClan told him,” Lynxheart mumbled. 

“Probably that we’re all going to die,” said Starlingwind. “Oh, come on, I’m kidding,” he added as Acornfall shot him a glare.

Lynxheart looked up to the sky as a cloud passed over the sun, casting a shadow across the camp. He hoped Foxshade and her patrol would get to LakeClan and back safely.

“Lynxheart?” 

The young warrior jumped, realizing that Hemlocktail and Wolfstar had come up to him. 

“Oh, sorry, um, what is it?” Lynxheart asked.

“It’s alright,” said Hemlocktail reassuringly. “Wolfstar and I would just like to have a chat with you. Let’s go into my den, where there’s room for all three of us.”

“Oh…okay.” Bewildered, Lynxheart followed the medicine cat and leader to their den, as Grayspots and Starlingwind stared after him with wide, confused eyes. Lynxheart was not a senior warrior—he hadn’t even been a warrior for very long. If Wolfstar and Hemlocktail had something important and secretive to discuss, why would they share it with him? 

Lynxheart stepped into Hemlocktail’s den. The walls were made from a clump of tall boulders close together. Light filtered down through a thick bramble screen that had been woven across the space at the top to keep out rain. The strong scents of different herbs overwhelmed Lynxheart, who spotted them all neatly tucked into a corner of the den. Wolfstar and Hemlocktail sat down in front of Lynxheart. Wolfstar’s black fur blended in with the shadows of the den, his yellow eyes gleaming brightly. Lnxheart could not help but feel intimidated—although Wolfstar was his mother’s brother, and he knew him to be a kind cat, he’d still never been this up close to the huge tom. A sense of claustrophobia overcame him as the leader towered over him. 

“Don’t be nervous, Lynxheart,” said Hemlocktail. The medicine cat’s voice relaxed him somewhat. Unlike Wolfstar, who tended to loom above ForestClan in his tree, Hemlocktail was a friendly, easy going cat who liked to mingle with his Clan mates, despite holding an important rank. 

“When I went to the Starlit Pool, StarClan told me that there is a cat that is destined to succeed Runningdeer as messenger cat,” the gray and white tom explained. 

“Oh, it’s me!?” Lynxheart gasped. He’d never really considered himself a fast runner.

Hemlocktail shook his head. “No, they said that a ginger tom would be selected…one that does not live here in ForestClan. He is in the Dead Place.” 

“The Dead Place?” Lynxheart repeated, his fur bristling.

“Yes,” Wolfstar rumbled. “Helmocktail tells me that StarClan has chosen you to travel to the Dead Place to find this tom.”


	6. Chapter 6

“M…me?” Lynxheart stuttered after a few moments of silence. “Why have they chosen me?”

“That I do not know,” said Hemlocktail. “StarClan only said that it is you who will bring the ginger tom to ForestClan.”

“But, the Dead Place…isn’t that where all the monsters are?” Lynxheart’s fur bristled along his spine. 

“StarClan has foreseen that you will succeed,” said Wolfstar. “However, I think it is best that you don’t go alone. I will send some other warriors to go with you.”

“Oh…I see.” Lynxheart’s fur flattened, but his paws still twitched with unease. “But why would StarClan choose an outsider to be our next messenger cat? There are plenty of fast cats in this Clan.” 

“StarClan does not tell us why we should do things, only that we should,” said Hemlocktail. “Often, the answer becomes clear as we follow their will. They want us to experience things ourselves, rather than be told everything.” 

“Okay, well…if StarClan thinks I can do it, I guess I’ll have to go then,” said Lynxheart quietly.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” Hemlocktail soothed. “You enjoy adventure, don’t you? I bet some of the other warriors will be jealous that StarClan has picked you for such an important task,” he added with a purr. 

“Yes, I do, but…I…I’m afraid of the Dead Place,” Lynxheart admitted. “No Clan cat has been there ever since the great disaster that happened many generations ago.”

“That they haven’t,” said Wolfstar. “But StarClan has faith in you. They will watch over you as you travel there.”

“Um…okay…” said Lynxheart. “I…I’ll try my best, then.” 

“Let’s not tell anyone else about this until Foxshade gets back,” said Wolfstar. “Then, we’ll hold a Clan meeting, and you can choose who you’d like to go with you.” 

 

It was dusk by the time Foxshade returned with her patrol. Lynxheart went hurrying to greet his mother. 

“Did you make it to LakeClan alright?” he asked.

Foxshade nodded. “We told Shellstar about the monsters that Blackthorn described. I’m not sure if she believed us, but she’s going to be doubling the size of patrols in case a predator is lurking in their territory.”

With a sigh, she added, “Their messenger cat, Peachglow, was really upset to hear about Runningdeer. They were good friends.”

“I’m glad you got back safely,” said Lynxheart, touching his muzzle to Foxshade's 

Concern flashed in the deputy's amber eyes. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I was just worried about you, is all,” Lynxheart murmured.

Foxshade narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but before she could speak, Wolfstar came over. 

“LakeClan has said they will keep an eye out for any unusual predators,” she said. Lowering her voice, she added, “Are you going to be appointing a new messenger cat tonight?” 

“Not exactly,” Wolfstar replied. “But I am about to call for a Clan meeting.” 

Foxshade gave her brother a confused stare as the leader headed to the Leader’s Oak and climbed up to sit on his usual branch. 

“All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather by the Leader’s Oak for a Clan meeting!” Wolfstar called out.

As his Clan mates gathered around, Lynxheart sat down and wrapped his tail over his paws, trying to hide that they were shaking. Foxshade came to sit beside him, her own tail twitching with curiosity.

“StarClan spoke to Hemlocktail this morning,” Wolfstar announced. “They talked of a cat that is destined to succeed Runningdeer. However, he is not part of ForestClan—he is an outsider.”

The crowd buzzed with loud murmuring amongst each other.

“An outsider!?” a long-haired yellow tom named Yellowfox exclaimed. He lashed his bushy white-tipped tail. “How could an outsider possibly become our messenger cat?” 

“An outsider could never have the strength or skills of a Clan born cat,” Patchmoon agreed. “What is StarClan thinking?” 

“Silence!” Wolfstar ordered. “StarClan has chosen this cat, so he must be found and brought to ForestClan. We must believe that they know what they are doing.” 

“Sounds like they’ve gone mad,” Patchmoon murmured to Yellowfox, who nodded.

“StarClan says that this cat lives in the Dead Place,” said Wolfstar. “They have chosen Lynxheart to go there and find him.”

Lynxheart looked down on the ground as he felt everyone’s eyes turn to stare at him. Foxshade let out a loud gasp. 

“No, he can’t go!” she cried. “He’s too young! That place is too dangerous!”

“StarClan has already foretold that he will succeed,” Wolfstar reassured her. “I will have a few other warriors go with him, however.”

“I’m going with him, then.” Foxshade lashed her tail.

“Foxshade, you are our deputy,” Wolfstar reminded her. “You must stay here and help guard the camp in this time of danger.”

“Then I’ll go.” Tulipwhisker spoke up, moving through the crowd to stand next to Lynxheart. 

Foxshade shook her head. “No, I’m not going to risk losing both of my kits,” she said firmly.

“You won’t lose us,” said Tulipwhisker. “We’re warriors now. We can take care of ourselves.”

“I’ll go too,” Grayspots volunteered. 

“I’d like to join too, if that’s alright,” said Starlingwind. 

“Shouldn’t some more experienced warriors go with Lynxheart!?” Mistspeckle exclaimed. 

“We’ll be fine, Mother,” said Grayspots. “The four of us will look out for each other.” 

“But the Dead Place is crawling with monsters…the same that killed Runningdeer!” Mistspeckle’s voice trembled. “I can’t lose my kits…especially not right after I’ve lost my brother.” 

“StarClan will be looking out for them,” said Hemlocktail, coming over to her and laying his tail across her back. 

Mistspeckle pinned back her ears. “But StarClan didn’t look out for Runningdeer!” 

“Hemlocktail, were you given a description of this tom from the Dead Place?” Everyone turned to see Blackthorn by the elder’s den, rising up on shaky legs. “It’s possible that I could have known him.” 

“They spoke of a dark ginger tom, that becomes a flash when he runs,” said Hemlocktail. 

Blackthorn’s eyes widened. “There was a dark ginger tom in the Dead Place…he was Timofey’s son, Sutinky! He and his littermates were just kits when I left, but they should be full grown now. Sutinky was always running away from his mother, and getting into mischief…she could never catch him. He must be the one that StarClan has chosen!”

Blackthorn let out a wet, heavy cough, and then said, “Although…getting Sutinky away from there might be difficult, if Timofey is still alive. He doesn’t allow anyone to leave his group. That’s why I had to sneak off in the middle of the night. And of course, there are the Dark Ones….”

“Well, if there are Dark Ones in the Clan territories now, then we’re no safer here than we are at the Dead Place,” Grayspots pointed out. “I say this journey is worth the risk.”

Tulipwhisker nodded. “And if Timofey gives us any trouble, then I’ll take care of him.” The tortoiseshell and white she-cat unsheathed her claws.

“I trained Tulipwhisker well,” said a ginger she-cat named Eagledawn, who had been her mentor. “I know she’ll make it back.”

“And I know Lynxheart will too,” said Sunwhisker, who had mentored him. 

Lynxheart got to his paws, his confidence growing upon hearing his former mentor’s praise.

“I promise I will come back,” said Lynxheart. “We will all come back safely, and we will bring ForestClan’s new messenger cat with us!”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune for the first half of this chapter:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4KkTvnf8i0
> 
> When you see ** change the music to this: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXjDMERR08c&

“It sure is weird, going out of the territory,” said Grayspots. 

The four young cats had set out early in the morning. Blackthorn had told them that they’d find the Dead Place if they traveled straight to the east, although it would take them several sunrises to get there. 

“Yeah, but at least we won’t have to listen to elders grumbling,” Starlingwind joked.

Lynxheart breathed in the dewy morning air. The sky was a pale blue, tinged with the pink of sunrise. It was a lovely day for traveling. He still had a bitter taste in his mouth from the herbs that Hemlocktail had given them to keep their strength up. Despite the high spirits among the group, Lynxheart could not help but feel nervous as they ventured towards the edge of ForestClan’s territory, Blackthorn’s story of the Dark Ones still fresh in his mind.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Lynxheart said to Tulipwhisker.

“Well, I couldn’t let my dumb brother get eaten by a monster,” she replied.

“Hey!” Lynxheart hissed.

“What’s the name of this cat we’re supposed to find again?” said Starlingwind. “Was it Stinky?” 

_“Sutinky,”_ Lynxheart corrected him. 

“That’s about the weirdest name I’ve ever heard,” Starlingwind snorted. 

“Yeah, well your name sounds like a starling passing gas,” Grayspots retorted.

Starlingwind flattened his ears and swatted at his brother’s tail, chasing Grayspots as he playfully ran ahead. 

The forest seemed to stretch on forever, even far beyond the ForestClan border. It wasn’t long until they came across trees and other landmarks that they’d never seen before. 

“Whoa!” Lynxheart breathed as they came to a wide open clearing with a huge, gnarled ancient oak in the center. They decided to take a break there. Lynxheart panted and sat down. Already his legs were sore—would they really be able to make it to a place several sunrises away? The others went over to the tree. Tulipwhisker rose up on her hind legs to sharpen her claws on the bark, while Grayspots and Starlingwind climbed up the trunk, disappearing into the dark canopy of leaves at the top. A few moments later, Grayspots cried out, “Lynxheart, Tulipwhisker, you have to come see this view!” 

Lynxheart heaved himself to his paws, coming over to the oak tree and following his sister up the trunk. Wincing as a sharp branch scraped his haunch, he scrambled to the top, peering down at the view below. 

“Wow…” he whispered. The forest seemed to stretch out into an endless mass of green. The cats could see several things from far up ahead—a clearing with a giant blue pool of water, a rocky gulch, and a series of hills that led towards the pale outlines of mountains in the far distance. 

“I wonder if the forest has any end,” Lynxheart murmured. 

“Well, it has to,” said Tulipwhisker. “If Blackthorn made it to ForestClan all the way from the Dead Place, then we can make it there.” 

Lynxheart scanned his eyes across the land, his fur prickling slightly as he searched for any moving creatures, ones that might be large and black...but he saw no such things.  
_Maybe Blackthorn was just imagining the Dark Ones,_ Lynxheart thought as he followed his friends back down the tree. But he didn’t believe himself. 

The four cats continued traveling all day, staying in the shade as much as they could, for the hot green-leaf sun was beating down quite hard today. They stopped at small streams and ponds to have a drink, and caught and ate some plump squirrels. Fortunately, a slight breeze was blowing in the direction they were traveling. Feeling the air with their whiskers, they followed the breeze towards the eastern horizon. When the sun began to set, they searched around for a place to stay at for the night. Grayspots spotted an old badger set big enough for all four of them to fit inside. Lynxheart curled up by the entrance to the den, staring up at the starry night sky. Was StarClan watching them at this very moment, making sure they were alright? Lynxheart nervously looked around at the shadowy walls of trees surrounding them. The Dark Ones’ black fur would be completely invisible in the night. They could just walk right up to the den while Lyxnheart and his friends slept…

A loud, guttural noise rang out. Lynxheart jumped, accidentally kicking Tulipwhisker awake.

“What is it?” she murmured crankily.

“Sorry,” Lynxheart whispered, realizing the noise had just been Grayspots snoring. His ears grew hot with embarrassment.

 _I’m the ForestClan deputy’s son_ , he thought. I’m supposed to be brave…but I feel scared. _Why did StarClan choose me to go to the Dead Place?_

Lynxheart fell into a fitful sleep. When the golden light of dawn filtered through the trees, Tulipwhisker shook him awake, and they continued on their journey. 

“Are you alright?” Tulipwhisker asked Lynxheart. “You were twitching in your sleep like a kit having a nightmare.” 

“I’m fine,” he growled. “I’m just not used to sleeping in a place that’s not the ForestClan camp.”

“You know, if StarClan has chosen you to go to the Dead Place, it means you can handle whatever’s there,” said Tulipwhisker. 

“Yeah, but I have to make sure you all are safe, too,” said Lynxheart.

Tulipwhisker snorted. “I can take care of myself.”

Grayspots nodded. “We didn’t go through all that training for nothing.” 

“Yeah, those dark whatever thingies don’t stand a chance against us!” said Starlingwind. 

Lynxheart frowned. “Blackthorn said they move so fast that we won’t even see them coming.”

“Think fast!” Lynxheart yelped as Starlingwind suddenly grabbed his tail. 

“Hey, I’m just preparing you to react quickly,” said the freckled pale brown tom as Lynxheart glared at him. 

Suddenly, something came falling down from a tree and landed on Starlingwind’s head. He jumped several tail lengths into the air, screeching in fright. Grayspots burst into a loud meow of laughter. “It was just an acorn!” he told his brother. 

Starlingwind glared at the other three warriors as they purred with amusement. He hissed and swatted at the acorn, which was now sitting on the ground. 

“Toms, they’re such morons,” Lynxheart heard Tulipwhisker mutter under her breath. He looked down at the ground as they continued walking—perhaps he really was a moron. Why had StarClan chosen him, of all cats, to venture to the Dead Place?

 

What is that!?” Grayspots yowled over a loud roaring noise that came from up ahead. 

They’d been traveling for many sunrises now. Their surroundings had changed slightly, with the trees giving away from oaks and birches to pines and firs. The grass was much shorter and rougher than in ForestClan’s territory, and the soil was hard packed. They were approaching a tall, rocky cliff that cast a shadow over the land. When it came fully into view, the warriors stopped and stared in awe. Tumbling down from the top of the cliff was a long, shimmering sheet of water, sending up a fine mist that shone brilliantly in the sunlight. A thin, tiny rainbow arched over the gurgling creek that the falling water fed into. 

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful before,” Lynxheart whispered. 

Grayspots leaned down to lap at the clear, shiny water while Starlingwind rose up on his hind legs to bat at a butterfly.

“I could stay here all day!” he said as the creature fluttered out of his reach. 

“Well, unfortunately, we can’t,” said Tulipwhisker. “We should be getting near the Dead Place by now.” 

They hopped across a set of stones to avoid getting wet, and climbed a grassy slope up on the other side of the creek. Spotting a tall pine tree, Lynxheart climbed up the trunk, peering out between the green branches to see up ahead. In the distance, the trees seemed to grow thinner and sparser, revealing wide patches of brown dirt. 

“I think it’s just up ahead!” Lynxheart exclaimed as he came scrabbling down. 

**As the trees began to thin out, the cats could tell that something about the atmosphere had changed. The air seemed still and quiet, although they could still hear the faint rustling of prey in the undergrowth. The trees were thin and spindly, with patches of needles clinging to the branches here and there. The ground was thick with bracken and piles of dirt. Suddenly, Lynxheart stopped in his tracks at the sight of something unnatural-looking. There was a tall stick jutting up from the ground—attached to the top of it was a flat yellow object with perfectly straight sides, and a red shape in the center. 

“What in StarClan’s name is that?” Starlingwind cautiously sniffed at the stick. 

“Well, whatever it is, it seems harmless,” said Tulipwhisker. 

The object looked as though it had once been brightly colored, but faded with time. Lynxheart wondered what it was, how long it had been there.

They moved forward, cautiously sniffing the air and swiveling their ears for any strange smells or sounds. Though there didn’t seem to be any apparent danger, Lynxheart’s pelt bristled uneasily. This had to be the Dead Place…something about it felt very off. 

“Whoa!” As they came to the edge of the forest, Grayspots stopped in his tracks. “Look!” he breathed, pointing ahead with a paw. 

Peering over his friend’s shoulder, Lynxheart gasped at the sight before them. The grass and trees abruptly ended, giving away to a black, stony ground. Humongous, tall structures loomed ahead, appearing to be made of stone. Some of them had crumbled and cracked, while others remained standing. Everything was very, very quiet…as if this place had once been buzzing with life, but was now abandoned. 

“Well, this seems like the Dead Place alright,” said Starlingwind.

“It doesn’t seem completely dead, though,” said Tulipwhisker, nosing at a small purple flower that was sprouting from the soil. “It looks like this forest is slowly growing back.”

Lynxheart nodded in agreement. He tried to appear calm as he led his friends into the Dead Place, but anxiety clenched at his gut.

 _This place gives me the creeps,_ he thought. _The sooner we find Sutinky and get out of here, the better._

At least the sun was out, casting a warm glow on the otherwise ghostly place. Lynxheart looked up at the bright blue sky—had the disaster really lit it on fire? 

“What are all these structures for?” said Grayspots. “They don’t seem natural, I think something made them.” 

“They were probably dens for the Twolegs,” said Tulipwhisker. “Our ancestors who came from here lived with them before the disaster.”

“I’m not sure Twolegs are real.” Starlingwind frowned. “How can a creature have no fur and walk on two legs?” 

“Blackthorn says they’re real,” said Tulipwhisker. “Didn’t you listen to his stories? He lived with Twolegs as a kit, before he became a loner.” 

“Oh. I always just thought he was going senile,” Starlingwind said with a shrug.

“Hey, look at this den here.” Grayspots curiously went up to a small structure made of wood. He stepped through a giant hole that probably served as the entrance. Lynxheart cautiously followed him, peering into the den. He sneezed as his paws disturbed a thick layer of dust on the den floor. There were strange objects scattered everywhere, as if whoever had once lived here had left everything behind in a hurry. Light filtered in through a space in the wall, which was lined with jagged bits of a transparent substance. 

“This place sure is weird,” Lynxheart murmured. 

He and Grayspots headed out of the den, where Tulipwhisker was excitedly waving her tail.

“I smell cats!” she exclaimed. “It seems they came by here not too long ago.” 

Lynxheart opened his jaws and breathed in the air. The scents of non-Clan cats were quite alien to him, but they were most definitely cats. 

“I hope this cat we are supposed to find will want to come join ForestClan,” said Grayspots. 

“I’m sure StarClan wouldn’t have chosen him if he didn’t,” said Lynxheart, but secretly, he wondered that as well. How were they supposed to get a strange cat with no knowledge of the Clans to come with them and leave the only home he’d ever known? 

They’d been walking for a while when they suddenly heard a ferocious cry. All four warriors stopped in their tracks, their fur rising as they swiveled their ears forward. 

“That sounded like a fox!” Tulipwhisker hissed. 

Another angry bark rang out, confirming the sound to be from a fox. Mingled with its snarling were the hissing and yowling of cats. Lynxheart and his Clan mates hurried around a large den, where they took in the scene before them. A fox was lashing its bushy tail, growling as blood dripped from its muzzle. Facing off against it were three tabbies, all with their backs arched and jaws parted in vicious hisses. One was light brown, one was silver, and the third was a dark, rich ginger.

Lynxheart gasped.

_It’s Sutinky! We’ve found him!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune for this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIL4iETMB-0&

Lynxheart was about to call out a warning as the fox leapt at the ginger tabby, but he nimbly darted out of the way. The biggest cat, the light brown tabby, reared back on his hind legs and furiously slashed at the fox’s muzzle with his claws.

“They fight like warriors!” Tulipwhisker gasped.

The silver tabby, which was small and skinny, was quivering in fear, but he held his ground, snarling and circling the fox as the others swiped and bit at it. Suddenly, the angry predator lunged at the silver tom, but the ginger tom leaped on top of its back and grabbed its ear, pulling out a small chunk of flesh. With a scream, the fox fled, disappearing behind another den in a flash of red. 

“Wow!” Grayspots exclaimed. 

The three cats jumped and turned around, their eyes widening at the sight of new cats. The light brown one stood protectively in front of the two, curling his lip. 

“Who are you!?” he demanded. 

“We come in peace!” Lynxheart called to him. “We’re from a place called ForestClan. My name is Lynxheart, and this is my sister Tulipwhisker, and friends Grayspots and Starlingwind. We’ve heard about this place…you’re the Shadow Seekers, led by a cat named Timofey.” 

“Timofey is dead,” the brown tom replied, suspiciously waving his tail. “All his followers are, too, except for us. We’re the only three left.”

“They’re dead!?” Lynxheart exclaimed. 

“The Shadow Seekers are no more,” said the tom. “The three of us are just simply surviving here now. We’re not taking any new members.”

“Oh, we’re not here to join the Shadow Seekers.” Lynxheart cautiously walked closer to the three cats, feeling quite awkward. “We, uh…heard about you from a cat in our Clan, who once lived here. He’s a black tom, who used to be called Chornyy.”

Suddenly, the ginger tom gasped. “Chornyy! Yes, we know him, he left the Shadow Seekers when we were kits…he’s still alive!?”

Lynxheart nodded. 

“We all thought the Dark Ones had killed him,” said the brown tabby quietly, his eyes blinking in disbelief. He shook his head and said, “Sorry, I should introduce us. I’m Aleks, and these are my brothers, Sutinky and Sriblo.” 

Lynxheart and his Clan mates exchanged excited looks upon hearing Sutinky’s name. 

“You all sure have some interesting names,” said Sutinky, who walked up to them with a curious gleam in his eyes. He was slender but strong looking, his muscles rippling under his sleek dark orange pelt. He stopped in front of Lynxheart, giving him a friendly sniff.

“We’re here on a mission,” said Lynxheart, feeling more relaxed now that the three toms seemed to understand that the warriors weren’t a threat. “We can explain everything, but…is there a place we could rest and talk? We’ve come a long way.” 

Aleks nodded. “Follow us.”

“I can’t believe Chornyy is still alive!” Sutinky exclaimed as Aleks led the way. “How is he?”

“Well, his name is Blackthorn now,” said Lynxheart. “I hate to tell you this, but…he’s getting quite old, and has some sort of illness.”

“Oh.” Sutinky sounded sad. “Well, at least he got out of here…we thought the Dark Ones would go after him. They would kill anyone who challenged Timofey.”

“Blackthorn…or, Chornyy, as you call him…told us about the Dark Ones,” said Lynxheart quietly. “He said they did chase after him when he left the Shadow Seekers, but he got away. Recently, we found a member of our Clan dead, his body torn apart…Blackthorn thinks a Dark One killed him.” 

“They are merciless,” said Aleks grimly. “They promised us all eternal life if we served them, but they lied. They turned on Timofey, and killed all of the Shadow Seekers, except for us three.”

Lynxheart gasped. 

“Do you still see Dark Ones around here?” Grayspots asked. His green eyes widened as his fur prickled.

“Not since they killed the others,” said Aleks. “They were all summoned one night to travel to a giant building at the end of this place. The Dark Ones said it was once called a reactor. Twolegs built it, long ago. One day, something went wrong…there was an explosion, and the air turned poisonous. All the Twolegs that lived here had to flee. The air here isn’t bad anymore, though…but the Twolegs are too afraid to return.” 

“So it is true,” Lynxheart breathed. “We heard about it in nursery tales, but I never expected to see this place for real.”

Aleks nodded. “The Dark Ones called for everyone to come to the reactor. They said they were going to take us to a haven, where there were no dangers and we would live forever, as a reward for being faithful to them. But my brothers and I sensed that something was wrong. Unlike the rest of the Shadow Seekers, we didn’t trust the Dark Ones. We fled. A few days passed, and we saw no sign of anyone, so we dared to travel to the reactor, and see what had happened….we went inside, and, in a dark passageway, were the remains of our family…they were all ripped to shreds.” 

Sriblo, the silver tom, had been quiet up until now. He trembled, his blue eyes wide with fear. “We could hear the Dark Ones from deep inside the reactor, calling to us. We ran out as fast as we could. We haven’t seen them since, but we know they’re still lurking around here…”

“Why don’t you leave this place?” Grayspots asked. 

Aleks sighed. “This is the only home we’ve ever known. Timofey was our father…he came across this place with our mother, Petra, and some other stray cats. He met the Dark Ones, and founded the Shadow Seekers. We were born here, and…I don’t know if the Dark Ones would let us leave if we tried to.” 

They were coming up to one of the ancient structures. Spots of rust were scattered about its dirty gray surface, and there were huge square spaces lined up in neat rows. The edges contained the same broken clear material they’d seen in the much smaller structure. Aleks led them up a set of small, flat stones that rose up towards the entrance, and into a long corridor. There were barely any smells in this place—everything had lost its scent, buried beneath layers of dust. Lynxheart inched closer to Tulipwhisker as outside, a cloud drifted in front of the sun, casting long shadows across the corridor. 

“Don’t worry, there aren’t any Dark Ones hiding in here,” said Sutinky. The friendly gleam of his amber eyes was somewhat reassuring to Lynxheart. 

Aleks led them around a bend, towards a rise of flat stones similar to the ones outside, only much taller. “These are called stairs,” he explained. “We climb up them to get to the next level, where we sleep.” 

Cautiously, Lynxheart and his Clan mates followed the three brothers up the stairs, flinching at the feel of the odd, cold stone beneath their feet. At the top was the largest ditch that Lynxheart had ever seen. The flat stone floor around it dropped sharply down at the edges, creating perfectly straight walls. The bottom of the ditch was quite strange, as it sloped downward about halfway and became much deeper. The once white floor was covered in dust, dead leaves and twigs, and sharp-edged, rusted objects, mostly gathering in the deep end. Long black stripes were visible through the grimy surface, running all the way across the ditch. Aleks led them down a small set of stairs into the higher end of the ditch, where he and his brothers had made cozy looking nests out of bracken and feathers in one corner. 

“So, why have you come here?” Aleks asked the visitors, settling down in the bedding. 

“Um…” said Lynxheart. He wasn’t sure how to put it into words.

“We were sent here by StarClan,” Tulipwhisker spoke up. “They are the spirits of our ancestors, who watch over us. Our messenger cat, who travels to the other Clans to tell them important things, was the one who was slaughtered by a Dark One. Our medicine cat, who speaks to StarClan directly, was told that a dark ginger tom from the Dead Place—I mean, from outside our Clan—is destined to be our next messenger cat. I’m assuming they meant Sutinky. They chose Lynxheart to make the journey, but he brought us along with him.”

The tabby brothers stared, blinking as they took all this in. 

“But, uh, why would they choose me?” Sutinky stuttered. 

“We don’t know,” said Tulipwhisker. “But we would like for you to come and join ForestClan. Your brothers can come, too.”

“But we don’t know anything about your Clan, or its customs.” Aleks narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry, we can teach you all you need to know,” said Grayspots. “If you become apprentices, you’ll each be assigned a mentor.” 

“The Dark Ones won’t let us leave.” Sriblo hunkered down in his nest, his ears pinned back. “They’ll come after us if we try!”

“Chornyy got away,” said Sutinky, giving his brother’s head a comforting lick. “We can too.”

Aleks’s eyes widened. “You want to leave, Sutinky?”

“I think living out in the forest sounds better than staying here,” Sutinky admitted. “The Shadow Seekers are no more. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do for this…ForestClan…but I think we should go, and leave our past behind.” 

“No, we can’t leave!” Sriblo’s blue eyes bulged out of his head as his whole body began to violently tremble. “The Dark Ones will stop us…I hear them speaking to me now…they’re saying they’ll kill us all…no, no, _SHUT UP!_ ” 

Aleks and Sutinky crouched over their brother as he curled up in a tight ball, wailing and moaning with his paws clamped over his ears. 

“Sorry,” Aleks whispered to the others. “He gets like this sometimes.”

“Hey, don’t worry, Sriblo,” said Sutinky softly, touching his nose to his brother’s. “Lynxheart and his friends have been very brave to come out here—they’ll help us escape.”

Lynxheart came over to the quivering silver tabby, Sutinky’s praise giving him the confidence to finally speak up. 

“That’s right, Sriblo,” he said. “If one cat escaped from here all by himself, then certainly we can do it as a group.”

Sriblo opened one of his sky blue eyes. “I…I hope we can,” he whispered. “Th--thank you, Lynxheart.” 

 

After Sriblo had recovered from his panic attack, the cats went hunting for mice, which were plentiful in the abandoned building. 

“You already seem to know a lot about hunting and fighting,” Lynxheart remarked as Sutinky swiftly pounced on a mouse. 

“Our parents taught us how,” said Sutinky. “Sometimes foxes or badgers come wandering into here from the woods, and we have to chase them off.”

“Have you ever seen any Twolegs?” Lynxheart was curious. “I’ve never seen one. Are they real?” 

“Yes, they are real,” Sutinky replied. “A group of them wandered through here one time, but they didn’t stay for long.”

Something about Lynxheart’s question seemed to bother the ginger tom. His voice was curt, and he quickly changed the subject. 

“How many cats live in ForestClan?” Sutinky asked. 

“A lot,” Lynxheart replied. 

“Do you fight with the other Clans?”

“Not usually. Being far apart keeps us from having battles over territory.”

Sutinky tilted his head to one side. “Do you have a leader?”

“Yes, his name is Wolfstar,” said Lynxheart. “His sister is my mother, Foxshade. She’s also the deputy, who is second in command of a Clan.”

“What does one have to do to become a messenger cat?” Sutinky’s eyes sparkled curiously.

“Well, they have to be really fast runners,” said Lynxheart. “So you’re pretty much born for the job or not. You’re taught how to take shelter in case of rain, and fight predators on your own.”

“Well, lucky for you, I am a fast runner!” Sutinky exclaimed. “My brothers could never keep up with me when we ran around as kits. I’m still pretty swift—watch this!”

The tom became a flash of orange as he flew down the corridor. Once he reached the end, he swiftly spun around, and came barreling back the other way, skidding to a halt just a whisker length from Lynxheart and beaming. 

“Wow,” said Lynxheart, stepping back. “You really are fast. I think ForestClan will be impressed.” 

 

When the sun began to set, Lynxheart and his Clan mates gathered up pieces of ferns and bracken to build their own nests in the giant ditch. The cats talked for a bit before drifting off to sleep.

“We should head out early tomorrow, when the sun rises,” said Aleks as he curled up in his nest. He finally seemed to have warmed up to the idea of joining ForestClan. “Thank you for coming to help us, Lynxheart.”

“Y…you’re welcome,” Lynxheart stuttered, feeling quite flattered. 

Although he’d managed to make himself fairly comfortable, Lynxheart longed for the warrior’s den back in ForestClan. The perfectly straight walls, dirty hard floor, and twisted scraps of junk made him feel a little too uneasy to sleep. As the sun slipped below the horizon and cast the Dead Place into deep shadows, Lynxheart’s anxiety became worse. He pressed close to his Clan mates, taking in their familiar scents and warmth of their pelts. Lynxheart half expected to see glowing red eyes appear at any moment, and to hear unearthly snarls. He shut his eyes, trying not to think of Runningdeer’s eviscerated body. 

Lynxheart tossed and turned fitfully. When he awoke, a tiny sliver of pink was visible in the dark sky. He sighed with relief, knowing that soon the sun would rise. Feeling the need to make dirt, he got up, careful not to disturb his Clan mates. Oddly, he noticed that Sutinky and Sriblo were gone. 

As Lynxheart stepped outside, Sutinky came up to see him, his eyes widened in panic.

“Have you seen Sriblo!?” he exclaimed. “I woke up and he was gone. I can’t find him anywhere—he’s wandered off!” 

Lynxheart shook his head. “Where could he have gone?” 

“I don’t know, but we should try to get ahold of his scent and follow him,” said Sutinky.

Lynxheart followed the flame colored tom as a light breeze brought Sriblo’s scent to them. He seemed to be quite far up ahead of them. As they passed a giant, ancient yellow thing that was covered in rust, Sutinky stopped and gasped. 

“Oh, no, I know where he’s going—the reactor!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sutinky is pronounced "Soo-ten-key" and Sriblo is pronounced "Sree-blo"
> 
> Also, the place where the cats are sleeping is the abandoned Azure swimming pool in Pripyat. Read up on it here:
> 
> http://chernobylgallery.com/galleries/swimming-pool-azure/


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This music is highly recommended to play along with this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd2VwmOfQiA&

The area around the reactor was completely devoid of plant life. The ground was flat, hard, and black. Before the cats stood the largest structure that they’d seen so far, seeming to stretch endlessly from one direction to another. More pink light was appearing in the sky, but it was still quite dark. 

“I don’t understand why Sirblo would go to where the Dark Ones are,” said Tulipwhisker. “Don’t they want to kill all of you?” 

Aleks sighed. “Sriblo has always been the weakest and most timid out of the three of us. To try and toughen him up, our father took him to the reactor when he was just a kit, hoping the Dark Ones would grant him some sort of power. I’m not sure if they did, but ever since then, Sirblo has claimed to be able to hear their voices from far away. Sometimes he goes into sort of a trance, and doesn’t know what he’s doing…it’s as if they’re controlling him.”

Starlingwind shuddered. “Are we going to be able to get him back? Perhaps it’s too late for us to do anything.”

“We’re not giving up on our brother,” Aleks snarled, a furious look suddenly appearing in his amber eyes. “We won’t leave him to be slaughtered like prey.” 

“What if the Dark Ones don’t want to kill him?” said Lynxheart quietly. “What if they have a purpose for him?” 

“We have no idea,” said Sutinky grimly. “But no matter what they have planned, we have to get him out of here.”

The reactor was surrounded by a barrier of wire, which the cats easily slipped through. Lynxheart held his breath as they approached the wall of the structure…he did not want to go in there, but he knew he had to. He had to be the brave warrior that StarClan had chosen. Aleks jumped up through an open space in the wall, and the others followed. Starlingwind was trembling from head to tail—it took Grayspots several moments to coax him through the space. 

The reactor was pitch black inside. It took a while for the cats’ eyes to adjust to the surroundings. 

“Sriblo went this way,” said Aleks, leading them down a corridor. They walked in a single file line, down a maze of narrow passageways. Lynxheart’s heart thudded in his ears as he fought against the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. Everything was so dark, and the walls were unnaturally straight. Cold, sharp scents flooded his nostrils. Lynxheart could just see the outlines of long, snake-like things running along the walls. 

“What do we do if we see the Dark Ones?” Lynxheart whispered.

“Run,” was Aleks’s curt reply. “Run as fast as you can.”

Suddenly, they spotted a bright light flickering from up ahead. Hurrying over, they that some object above was casting a shining white light. It buzzed faintly, the light going out and coming back every few seconds. It illuminated the top of a set of stairs, which seemed to descend a long way down into another dark corridor. 

“Do we have to go down there?” Starlingwind moaned. 

“Stay behind if you want, but Sutinky and I are going,” said Aleks, beginning to walk down the stairs.

The ForestClan warriors looked at each other for a few moments, and then, hesitantly, began to descend the stairs together, following Aleks and Sutinky. Once again, they were shrouded in total darkness as they left the flickering light behind. Lynxheart heard the breathing of his Clan mates growing faster and sharper. They were all scared, but continued on, through the seemingly endless corridors. A tiny, trembling whimper came from Starlingwind. Lynxheart breathed in the scent of his sister, who walked right next to him, to keep himself calm. Ahead of him, he could just make out the rich glow of Sutinky’s dark orange pelt ahead of him. 

_No wonder StarClan chose him to be our messenger cat,_ Lynxheart thought. _He and Aleks are braver than any of us Clan cats._

It seemed like they were in the darkness for an eternity. Everything was completely quiet, save for racing hearts and heavy breathing.

_Oh StarClan, please help us,_ Lynxheart prayed. He wondered if StarClan could even see them down here in this unnatural place. 

Suddenly, they heard a cry from up ahead, making everyone jump. Lynxheart fell back against Grayspots, nearly knocking his friend over.

“No! I won’t go in!” wailed a desperate, frightened voice. 

“Sriblo!” Aleks yelled. He and Sutinky went running ahead. Lynxheart and his friends followed much more slowly.

“Sriblo!” they heard Sutinky cry. “Sriblo, it’s okay, we’re here!”

“H-help me!” Sriblo sobbed. “They want me to go in there…I don’t want to…”

Rounding a bend, Lynxheart sensed that they had reached a wide open area. He could just make out the outlines of the three brothers in the thick darkness. Sriblo was sitting on the floor, in front of a gaping chasm that seemed to be even blacker than everything else around them. 

That’s when Lynxheart heard it—a faint, ragged voice. It was whispering, but it still somehow seemed loud, and echoing. Lynxheart’s heart stopped—it was the deepest sound he’d ever heard. 

“NO!” Sriblo screamed. “I WON’T DO IT!”

Suddenly, Lynxheart felt a strange throbbing sensation, not in his body, but from up ahead. It seemed as though something up ahead were pulsing, sending out waves of energy that made his legs lock up and his blood turn to ice as the vibrations grew stronger. 

Two huge, glowing red orbs appeared in the black corridor. Then, in a twisted, garbled voice that seemed to strangle the air, the Dark One spoke. 

_**“Come to us.”** _


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music for this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCusebyq2WU&
> 
> (Warning, it's pretty scary).

The cats’ piercing wails of terror mingled with the booming voice of the Dark One, which seemed to shake the walls and floor. Lynxheart shot down the corridor they’d come from, his Clan mates right on his tail. 

_**“You cannot escape.”**_

Lynxheart felt his legs grow heavy, as if he were walking through thick mud. Somehow, the Dark One’s voice seemed to slow him down…it was almost as if he were being pulled back towards it…

Suddenly, he felt sharp teeth clamp down on his tail. The jolt of pain sent him bursting forward, as Tulipwhisker screeched, “Run!” from behind him. He heard the scrabbling of several paw steps behind him…and then, the thunderous pounding of much bigger feet. 

“ _Sriblo!_ Sriblo, keep running!” Aleks yowled. 

Lynxheart dared to look over his shoulder—following them were not one, but several pairs of glowing red eyes. More seemed to appear by the second, their horrible voices flooding Lynxheart’s ears. 

_**“We will catch you!”** _

_**“Accept your fate!”** _

_**“COME!”**_

“QUICK, in here!” Tulipwhisker’s voice somehow rose above the cacophony of the Dark Ones. Lynxheart and the others followed into a narrow passageway. Behind them, the Dark Ones seemed to slow down, letting out a chorus of deafening howls as they crowded together, struggling to get through the tight space. The pulsing sensation returned, throbbing furiously with the rage of the creatures. Suddenly, the thin corridor shook violently as one of them wriggled its way in, quickly coming up behind them. Out of the corner of his eye, Lynxheart saw a pair of incredibly bright, white, glowing fangs spread apart, and then suddenly snap shut. 

“AAAHHH!” An agonized wail rang out as the reek of blood filled the air. 

“ALEKS!” Sriblo and Sutinky screamed. Lynxheart couldn’t look back—he had to keep running…Get out, get out, get out were his only thoughts. He heard Starlingwind shrieking as the outline of his Clan mate went bolting past him. Grayspots barreled after his brother, nearly knocking Lynxheart into the wall. They reached the end of the passageway, the Dark Ones still roaring as they quickly caught up with the cats…

Suddenly, Lynxheart collided with something hard, yelping and falling over. As the collision resulted in a loud CLANG noise, a tiny flicker of hope burst in his chest. He’d run into the side of the stairs! Lynxheart jumped to his paws, yowling for his friends to follow him as he scrambled up the flat, hard slats. 

_**“GET BACK HERE!”**_ The stairs seemed to tremble from the Dark Ones’ thunderous voices. 

_**“YOU CANNOT FLEE FROM YOUR FATE, YOU VILE CREATURES!”** _

Lynxheart soared to the top of the stairs, never feeling so relieved in his life when he skidded through the white puddle of light at the top. They were almost out of here--it was just a little further now to the outside. He caught a brief whiff of Tulipwhisker’s scent as she went streaking past him. He couldn’t detect Grayspots or Starlingwind nearby…his heart thudded painfully hard as he realized Sutinky and Sriblo weren’t there either.

Ignoring all of his instincts, which were screaming at him to keep running, he turned around, peering past the light and down into the staircase. He could just make an enormous figure, blacker than the air around it, cornering two much smaller figures on a bend in the middle of the stairs. 

“Hey!” Lynxheart’s voice was high-pitched, like a frightened kit’s, but it got the Dark One’s attention. For a moment, it turned its head to look at him, its red eyes glowing like two horrible suns. Sutinky and Sriblo took the opportunity and went flying up the stairs. The Dark One was a blur of black as it followed them. For one heart-stopping moment, Lynxheart thought for sure that the two brothers were gone for. The unnaturally bright fangs snapped just a hairbreadth from Sriblo’s tail as the silver tabby leaped across the circle of white light. And then, suddenly with an odd shrieking noise, the Dark One seemed to go flying backwards down the stairs, landing at the halfway point. The cats kept running, following the labyrinth of passageways and trying desperately to find the exit…

Suddenly, a figure came running at Lynxheart, smashing right into him. As he fell over, Lynxheart screeched and lashed out with his claws, causing his attacker to cry out.

“Stop! It’s me, Grayspots!” 

“Grayspots!?” Lynxheart gasped, jumping to his paws. 

“Are…they still…following us?” Grayspots asked between heavy pants. Behind him, Starlingwind’s eyes eyes glowed in the darkness, his pupils tiny and thin and his green irises bright with fear.

“I don’t know. We need to get out, now!” Lynxheart cried. 

“Over here!” Tulipwhisker’s voice shouted from nearby. They followed the sound of her voice, until they saw the tortoiseshell and white she-cat, illuminated by the light from the space in the wall. Lynxheart made a beeline for it, feeling the suffocating fear lift from him as he soared into the outdoors. He thought he’d never be so happy to see that black, hard ground. His friends followed close behind. They kept running as an unearthly roar echoed faintly within the reactor. 

The cats did not stop until they well within the surrounding woods. When they could no longer hear any trace of the Dark Ones’ voices, Sriblo collapsed in the dirt, wailing. 

“Aleks is dead!” he sobbed. “He’s gone!”

Sutinky lay down next to his brother, comfortingly wrapping his forelegs around Sriblo’s neck and tenderly licking his ears. 

“I know,” said Sutinky thickly, his amber eyes dull with grief. “But we’re out of there now. He would be happy for us.”

“It’s my fault they got him,” Sriblo moaned. “If only I had been stronger, and resisted their call…” 

As Sutinky talked soothingly to his brother, Lynxheart collapsed over on his side, his flank rising and heaving rapidly. 

“We’re alive! Oh thank sweet, merciful StarClan we’re alive!” Starlingwind gasped, looking ready to collapse himself. 

Lynxheart noticed a flash of bright red on Grayspots’s shoulder, realizing with a pang of guilt that his friend was bleeding from where he’d clawed him. But Grayspots didn’t seem to notice. He sank to the ground, letting out an exhausted moan. Even Tulipwhisker was shaken up for once, lying down next to Lynxheart. 

“That was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life,” she whispered. 

“I thought for sure we were going to die,” Lynxheart admitted, still gasping for breath.

“I hope I never see those things as long as I live,” breathed Grayspots.

“I’m sorry I clawed you,” Lynxheart murmured. “I thought you were…you know…”

“It’s whatever.” Grayspots craned his neck, shakily licking at the bloody welts on his shoulder.

“We’re all alive, and that’s what matters.” Tulipwhisker rested her chin on Lynxheart’s flank and touched her paw to his. Lynxheart looked over at Sutinky, who was still cradling Sriblo.

“I’m so sorry about Aleks,” he said quietly.

“It’s not your fault,” said Sutinky as he gave Sriblo’s head a gentle lick. “It’s no one’s fault.”

Lynxheart slumped in the grass, closing his eyes. His legs were numb and it seemed his heart would never stop racing. The long journey home seemed impossible now—he didn’t want to move ever again. 

Then Sutinky spoke again. “Lynxheart, you saved our lives, back there. Thank you.” 

“It’s what we warriors do for each other,” Lynxheart replied, finding the strength to open one eye and look at the ginger tom. “And hey…you moved pretty fast…I think ForestClan will be pleased to have you as our new messenger cat.” 

“Heh...if we had Dark Ones chasing us all the time, we could all be great messenger cats,” said Starlingwind hoarsely. 

Despite the exhaustion and the terror, Lynxheart had to give a small snort of amusement. He closed his eye again, silently thanking StarClan to be able to feel the warm sun on his coat once more.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this chapter:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRx9gnY0Mp0

Lynxheart stopped to take a drink from a bubbling creek, sighing with relief as the fresh water cooled his parched mouth. He wondered if his legs would be permanently sore from traveling farther than any Clan cat had before. They’d been traveling back from the Dead Place for several sunrises now, and hopefully would reach ForestClan’s territory soon. Lynxheart’s companions came to lap from the creek as well, all looking bleary-eyed. The first night after they’d left the Dead Place, none of them had slept. They’d taken refuge in a hollowed out tree, taking turns guarding the entrance, expecting red eyes to appear at any moment. They’d taken to resting during the daytime, as the darkness of night reminded them too much of the depths of the reactor. 

Lynxheart looked over at Sriblo, who had been quite ill since their escape. His silver tabby fur was unkempt, and his blue eyes were still glazed over with the horror of Aleks’s death. He’d barely slept or talked. As terrible as Lynxheart felt for Sriblo, he knew they were very lucky that only one of them had been killed.

“I think we’re getting close to ForestClan territory,” said Tulipwhisker, water dripping from her muzzle as she lifted her head. “If we keep moving, we might make it there before sundown.” 

They then split up to hunt. Lynxheart tracked the scent of a mouse over to a moss-covered log. He swiveled his ears, picking up the sound of the tiny creature munching on a seed from underneath the bark. Lynxheart silently leaped on top of the log and waited for the mouse to scurry out. The moment it appeared, he lashed out with his paw, swiftly stunning the prey, and then leaped down and quickly bit down on its neck. 

“Nice catch!” Lynxheart was startled to see Sutinky walking over to him.

“Sorry, I’m just curious as to see how ForestClan cats hunt,” said the ginger tom. “It’s amazing how you can find prey in all this thick growth!” 

“With some training, you’ll be able to do so as well,” said Lynxheart. 

Sutinky purred. “I can’t wait to meet ForestClan. I never thought I’d leave my home, but everything is so much more beautiful out here!”

“Some of the cats may be hesitant to accept you at first,” Lynxheart warned. “We’re not used to seeing outsiders. Some weren’t happy about Blackthorn joining, either. But give them time, and they’ll see that you’re worthy of being our messenger cat.”

“Well, I’m ready for a new life!” Sutinky exclaimed. More quietly, he added, “This will be good for both me and Sriblo. Now that he’s far away from the reactor, maybe he won’t hear the Dark Ones anymore.” 

Lynxheart frowned. “At least one of them has made it to the Clan territories,” he murmured. “But I believe you and Sriblo will be safer here in ForestClan.”

“Thank you, Lynxheart.” Sutinky’s amber eyes glowed warmly. “If it hadn’t been for you, we would have been stuck in that gloomy place forever.” 

“Oh…you’re welcome…” Lynxheart stammered, his ears growing hot. 

Just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Lynxheart began to pick up the familiar scents of ForestClan territory. His heart pounded—they were almost home! The other ForestClan warriors seemed to realize it as well, as they picked up their pace, almost running towards the border. 

“I’ve never seen such large trees,” said Sriblo, looking around wide-eyed at the oaks. 

As they crossed the border, the scents of other cats bathed Lynxheart’s tongue. Suddenly, a pale brown figure came around a bush, nearly walking right into him. 

“Gah!” Both cats jumped back. 

“Oh, Lynxheart, you’re back!” exclaimed the ForestClan warrior. 

“Good to see you, Martenwhisker,” said Lynxheart. 

“I’m glad to see all of you have made it back safely,” purred Martenwhisker. “I’m on an evening patrol with Spidershade, Patchmoon, and Doeflight. I caught a whiff of a fat squirrel and went off on my own to find it, but I found you instead!”

“This is Sutinky, and his brother, Sriblo.” Lynxheart gestured with his tail at the newcomers. 

“Nice to meet you two,” Martenwhisker dipped his head. “Come, we should get back to camp. Everyone will be so excited to see you!”

“Did anything interesting happen while we were gone?” Grayspots asked as Martenwhisker led the way. 

“Not really,” said Martenwhisker. Suddenly, his voice grew sad. “Oh, Blackthorn went down the tunnel a few sunrises ago. He slipped into a deep sleep that the other elders couldn’t wake him up from, and the next morning, he was gone.” 

Lynxheart hung his head. 

“He’s dead?” said Sutinky softly. 

Martenwhisker nodded. 

“That’s too bad…we once knew him, we were looking forward to seeing him again,” Sutinky sighed as he and Sriblo exchanged a pained look. 

The sad subject was dropped as they ran into the rest of the patrol. 

“Thank StarClan you’re all back in one piece!” Martenwhisker’s mother Doeflight gasped. 

“So it’s real then, the Dead Place?” asked Spidershade. 

Lynxheart nodded, and quickly changed the subject, introducing Sutinky and Sriblo. Patchmoon narrowed his yellow eyes at the new arrivals.

“Wolfstar said you would be bringing back one cat, not two,” he said.

“What difference does it make?” said Lynxheart, biting back a growl. “New warriors are always a blessing.” 

“Hmph,” said Patchmoon. “We already have plenty of warriors. But, I wasn’t the one who was sent to find them, so I suppose I shouldn’t judge.” 

“That’s Patchmoon. Just ignore him,” Lynxheart murmured to Sutinky as the black and white tom led the patrol back to camp. “He’s full of himself.” 

Sutinky purred. “I’ve known plenty of cats who were full of themselves,” he murmured back. “This one is no different.” 

Lynxheart’s pelt bristled with excitement as they entered the camp, the familiar scents of all his Clan mates washing over him. Foxshade was the first to see them. 

“You’ve come home!” the deputy bounded towards Lynxheart and Tulipwhisker, nuzzling her kits fiercely. “Oh, thank StarClan!” 

Goldenleaf came up beside Foxshade, licking Lynxheart’s ear. “Welcome home,” he said warmly. 

All the other warriors came up to greet the returning group. Mistspeckle threw herself at Grayspots and Starlingwind, trembling with relieved purrs. Several cats curiously sniffed at Sutinky and Sriblo, the latter of which shrank behind his brother. 

“Did you see the monsters!?” One of Dustycloud and Patchmoon’s kits, Firkit, came running up to Lynxheart, her siblings following behind.

“Yes, we did,” said Lynxheart quietly. 

The little tortoiseshell she-cat gasped. “Did you fight them!?”

“No. They were very big. We had to run,” said Lynxheart. “Thank StarClan we got away.” 

“I would have clawed their eyes out!” said Firkit. “No more problem.” 

“They would eat you first!” said one of her littermates, Walnutkit, as he pounced on her. 

“Were they scary?” Beechkit’s blue eyes stretched wide. 

“They were,” Lynxheart admitted. 

“Don’t worry, Beechkit,” said the fourth kit, Sprucekit, pressing up against his sister as she trembled. “If a monster tries to get into the nursery, I’ll bite its nose off!” 

A loud yowl rang out, causing everyone to fall silent and turn their head towards Wolfstar, who had climbed up in his tree to address the Clan. 

“Lynxheart, and those who went with him, congratulations on bringing our new messenger cat to ForestClan,” said Wolfstar. “Welcome to ForestClan, Sutinky and Sriblo.” 

“It is an honor to join you,” said Sutinky, dipping his head. 

“Tomorrow, we will hold a ceremony to make you official apprentices,” Wolfstar rumbled. “But right now, you must be exhausted from your long journey. We’ll let you make yourselves at home before you start your training.” 

Everyone sat around, sharing fresh-kill and asking Sutinky and Sriblo numerous questions. 

“What’s it like at the Dead Place?”

“Is everything really dead there?”

“Are the Dark Ones real?” 

“Alright, let’s give them some space,” said Lynxheart, noticing that Sriblo looked quite overwhelmed from so many strange cats crowding around him and his brother. 

“If you have trouble sleeping tonight, Sriblo, you can ask me for a poppy seed to help you relax,” said Hemlocktail. 

The silver tabby nodded. “I would like one, thank you.”

When night fell, Sutinky and Sriblo were led towards the apprentice’s den. 

“Whoa!” Thornpaw’s eyes grew wide. “We get to share our den with them? Cool!” 

“The ferns that grow behind our den have really soft leaves, they’ll be good for making your nests,” Cherrypaw told the newcomers. 

“Thank you,” Sutinky purred gratefully. 

Lynxheart settled into his own nest in the warrior’s den, relishing all the familiar, comforting smells that surrounded him. For the first time in several nights, he felt completely safe, being lulled to sleep by the gentle snoring of his Clan mates. 

He suddenly jolted awake. He didn’t know where he was—his surroundings had no smell. He definitely wasn’t in the warrior’s den anymore—the ground beneath him was hard. 

“H-hello!?” he called out in a shaky voice. “Is anyone there?” 

_**“Lynxheart.”**_ Two bulging eyes appeared in the darkness, their vile red light cutting through the darkness. 

“AAAH!!” Lynxheart jumped up from his nest, yowling in terror. All the warriors around him startled awake. 

“Lynxheart, are you okay!?” Foxshade got up from her nest and bounded over to her son. 

“I just…had…a bad…dream…is all,” Lynxheart panted, relief flooding his pounding heart as he came to that realization. 

Foxshade soothingly licked his pelt as he lay back down. Normally, he would be embarrassed by his mother comforting him like a kit in front of the other warriors, but he welcomed the warm strokes of her tongue.

 _It was just a dream,_ he told himself. _I’m far away from that reactor._


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbPjkA_pUIQ
> 
> When you see * change it to this: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T53Gia8ArY&

“Whoa!” Sriblo exclaimed as Spidershade leaped several tail lengths into the air, grabbing a large sparrow in his paws. The black tom landed and killed his prey with a swift bite to the neck.

“That was amazing!” Sriblo breathed. “I’ve killed birds before, but not nearly as big as that one!” 

It was the next morning, and Sutinky and Sriblo had been invited to come along on their first patrol. Lynxheart was showing them everything in the territory. 

“We use that clearing over there to train apprentices, and there’s a nice shady willow tree to rest and take breaks under,” he said, gesturing to the big tree with his golden striped tail. “And up ahead, there’s an old platform we think was made by Twolegs long ago. It stretches over a deep gorge, which the river runs through.” 

Sutinky nodded, listening to all of Lynxheart’s words with a fascinated look. 

“Over there is a big plum tree, over by the pond,” said Lynxheart. “Just beyond that is one of our borders. We don’t go past it because a wolf pack lives there.” 

“There are wolves?” said Sriblo nervously. 

“Aw, come on, wolves aren’t so scary, after what we’ve faced,” said Sutinky, giving his brother an encouraging nudge.

“We don’t see them that often,” said Lynxheart. “Sometimes we can hear them howling, though.”

Lynxheart had once been frightened by those eerie calls as a kit, but now, he agreed with Sutinky--after having narrowly escaped from the Dark Ones, wolves didn’t seem like much of a threat. 

Suddenly, Spidershade, who was leading the patrol, dropped the sparrow he was carrying, hissing and bristling as a foul stench wafted through the air. 

“What’s going on!?” Sriblo gasped. 

“There’s a badger,” said Lynxheart, feeling his fur involuntarily rise to twice its usual size. 

A patch of nearby ferns rustled, and then, suddenly, a massive black and white head emerged, snarling fiercely. 

“Come on, Sriblo, don’t run!” Sutinky cried to his brother as the warriors surrounded the badger. “Let’s fight it, like we fought the fox!” 

With a roar, the animal came stomping out of the undergrowth, swinging its head aggressively. 

“Try and catch me!” Sutinky began to run around the badger in circles, until he was an orange blur. As the predator looked around confusedly, Lynxheart jumped on the badger’s back, biting down hard and pulling out a clump of stinking fur. Satisfaction washed over him as the animal screamed, blood dripping from the wound Lynxheart had just created. However, the feeling was short lived, as the badger caught him off guard and flung him off. Lynxheart landed on his back, gasping as the wind was knocked out of him. The badger came barreling towards him, but suddenly, Goldenleaf jumped between them, leaping up and biting the badger fiercely on the nose. Sutinky raced past the furious animal, slashing its hind legs with his claws. Suddenly, the badger turned around and lashed out, striking Sutinky with a large forepaw and sending the dark ginger tom sprawling. 

“Sutinky, get up!” Sriblo cried. The silver tom had retreated under a fern, and was watching the battle as he trembled violently. 

Suddenly, Spidershade was there, leaping over the badger’s head, landing on its back. He plunged his fangs into the predator’s hide and pulled out a chunk of bloody flesh. The badger screeched, twisting away from Sutinky and trying to bite at Spidershade, but the nimble black tom had already jumped away. The other cats on patrol—Sunwhisker, Martenwhisker, and Goldenleaf’s sister Lilyfrost, surrounded the badger, slashing at it from all sides. 

“Come on, Sriblo,” Lynxheart encouraged the cowering cat. “Help us.”

With quivering paws, the silver tabby slowly emerged from the fern. Then, with a deep breath, he ran over, next to Spidershade, and grabbed the badger by the hind leg, biting down hard. The badger howled in pain, drops of its blood splattering against the grass.

“It’s had enough, let it go!” cried Goldenleaf.

The cats sprang back, letting the badger flee the way it had come. The massive black and white creature plunged back into the ferns, quickly scrambling away.

“Is anyone hurt!?” Lilyfrost asked. 

“I’m alright,” said Sutinky, who had gotten to his feet. He licked at his side, which was bleeding slightly where the badger had clawed him. 

“Wow…that felt really good…to bite it,” said Sriblo, spitting out a mouthful of the badger’s blood. He looked over at Spidershade. “You saved my brother, thanks.” 

“You weren’t so bad yourself, after you stopped cowering like a kit,” said the black tom curtly. 

“I…I want to be brave like you,” said Sriblo, shyly flattening his ears. “Do you think you could be my mentor?” 

Spidershade blinked, seeming a bit taken aback. Then he said, “Well, maybe I could teach you a thing or two. I’ll ask Wolfstar.” 

“I think Spidershade would be a good mentor for Sriblo,” Lynxheart murmured into Sutinky’s ear as they headed back to camp. “He’s got a short temper, but he’s Wolfstar’s son, and has inherited his courage.” 

“Sounds good,” Sutinky agreed. 

Once they returned to camp, Spidershade went to speak with Wolfstar and report the badger attack, while Lynxheart led Sutinky to Hemlocktail’s den to have the small wounds on his side treated. 

“Already got into a fight with a creature on your first day here, huh?” purred the medicine cat as he dabbed some poultice on the claw marks. “Don’t get too excited, most days here are boring.” 

“That badger was no match for me and Lynxheart!” Sutinky purred.

“StarClan is lucky to have found you, then,” said Hemlocktail. 

Once Sutinky’s wounds had been taken care of, Wolfstar called the Clan together for a meeting. 

“It is time for us to formally accept these newcomers into ForestClan,” said the leader. “They seem to have quite a bit of skill so far, but they’ll need a little more training to adapt to our ways of life.” 

He gestured with his tail for Sutinky and Sriblo to step ahead of the crowd. Walking up to the two of them, he said, “I would like to grant you apprentice names, unless you wish to keep your old names.”

Sutinky hesitated. After a moment’s pause, as if he were thinking hard, he said, “I think it’s time I got a new name. It is a reminder of my old life, which I wish to leave behind.”

Sriblo nodded in agreement. 

“Alright then,” said Wolfstar. Clearing his throat, he began the ceremony. 

“StarClan, I ask you to look down upon these two young toms, and respect my decision to make them apprentices of ForestClan.” 

The leader’s yellow gaze swept over Sutinky. 

“From this moment on, you will be known as Duskpaw.” Wolfstar told the ginger tom. He then raised his head, calling out for Lynxheart. 

With a jolt, Lynxheart hurried to the front of the crowd. “Yes, what is it?” he asked. 

Wolfstar purred. “I would like you to mentor Duskpaw,” he said. “You are not a messenger cat, but you have traveled a great distance, and faced dangers that most of your Clan mates have not. I trust that you can pass your bravery and skills along to your friend.”

“I…I would be honored to be his mentor, Wolfstar,” Lynxheart stammered. 

Duskpaw purred loudly, touching his nose to his new mentor’s. “And I am honored to be your new apprentice.”

“Now, I shall give Sriblo his new name.” Wolfstar turned his head to the silver tom. For once, Sriblo was not trembling with fear, but with excitement. 

“From now on, you will be known as Silverpaw,” Wolfstar told him. “You have asked for Spidershade to be your mentor, and I think you have made a good choice.” 

Wolfstar beckoned to his son with his bushy tail. “Please pass on your courage and cleverness to Silverpaw.”

“Will do,” said Spidershade as he touched noses with his new apprentice.

“Duskpaw! Silverpaw!” the Clan chanted. Duskpaw beamed proudly, while Silverpaw looked bashfully down at the ground. 

Once the ceremony was over, everyone celebrated by settling down with fresh-kill. Lynxheart joined Duskpaw and the other apprentices, who had gathered around near the medicine den. 

“Congrats on getting your first apprentice,” Grayspots purred, bumping his head against Lynxheart’s.

“Thanks,” said Lynxheart quietly. He was still surprised he’d been made a mentor when he was such a young warrior.

“I look forward to seeing what you have to teach me,” Duskpaw purred, flicking his tail against Lynxheart’s. 

Cherrypaw unknowingly lifted Lynxheart’s anxiousness by changing the subject.

“Wow, Silverpaw, you got Spidershade as your mentor!” she exclaimed. “He’s so swift!” 

“Just be lucky you didn’t get our mother, Eagledawn, for your mentor,” Thornpaw muttered. “She’s strict!” 

“Who is strict?” Thornpaw’s ginger tabby fur spiked up as Eagledawn appeared behind him. 

“Oh…hell-hello, Mother,” he stuttered. “I didn’t realize you were there.” 

“I ought to tell Acornfall to make you pick ticks off the elders all afternoon,” Eagledawn growled. “Maybe then you would learn some respect.” 

“See what I mean?” Thornpaw whispered to Silverpaw as his mother walked away, lashing her tail. 

“Of course, you better not disrespect Spidershade, either,” Thornpaw added. Lowering his voice, he said, “The last apprentice he had mouthed off to him, and Spidershade threw him into a fox den, where he was eaten!” 

Silverpaw gasped, his blue eyes widening in horror. 

“That did not happen!” Cherrypaw snapped, cuffing Thornpaw over the head. “Spidershade hasn’t even had an apprentice before.”

“I was just kidding,” Thornpaw snorted. “No need to get your tail in a knot.” 

“Who threw who in a hole?” Hemlocktail came out of his den, sitting next to the apprentices and licking herb stains off of his pelt. 

“Thornpaw’s just making up a stupid story to scare Silverpaw,” said Cherrypaw.

Hemlocktail purred. “I remember when Mistspeckle and Runningdeer and I used to mess with each other as apprentices. One time, Runningdeer thought it would be funny to sneak into the medicine den and put some fire ants in my nest. The next day, I gave him some herbs that I told him would help him run faster, but instead they gave him horrible indigestion.”

Lynxheart stared at Hemlocktail as everyone around him burst into _mrrows_ of laughter. He had a hard time imagining the polite medicine cat pulling such a prank. 

“Runningdeer was your messenger cat, right?” said Duskpaw quietly.

Hemlocktail’s green eyes darkened with sadness. “Yes, he was my brother, too,” he said. He cast his gaze across the camp, towards the tunnel that led to the burial site.

“That’s where we carry dead cats to their graves,” Lynxheart murmured to Duskpaw.

“Yeah, and sometimes they come back to life and try to eat us!” Thornpaw exclaimed. 

Silverpaw narrowed his eyes. “I’m not falling for _that_ one.” 

*His voice trailed off as the finished the sentence, and then, he suddenly recoiled.

“What’s wrong?” Duskpaw asked his brother concernedly. “Is there something wrong with the finch you’re eating?”

“N…no…it’s not…that…” Silverpaw’s sides heaved and out as he began to hyperventilate, his blue eyes bulging out of his head. 

“Great StarClan, did you eat something poisonous!?” Hemlocktail crouched over the apprentice as he collapsed on the ground. 

“There’s blood everywhere…they’re going to kill everyone…they’re going to kill everyone!” Silverpaw screeched. 

The whole camp grew quiet, everyone turning to Silverpaw as he writhed on the ground. 

“He has fits like this sometimes,” Duskpaw explained to Hemlocktail. “Can you give him anything to calm him down?”

Hemlocktail nodded. “I’ll go grab a poppy seed.” The gray and white tom dashed inside his den. 

Duskpaw comfortingly put a paw on his brother’s shoulder. “Shh…shh, Sriblo, I mean, Silverpaw, I’m here. No one is dead. Please stop screaming.” 

“Oh, there’s so much blood!” Silverpaw screeched. “Everyone’s dead!” 

Hemlocktail came hurrying back, carrying a tiny leaf wrap. He placed it next to Silverpaw, which unfurled to reveal a tiny black poppy seed. 

“Silverpaw,” said the medicine cat gently. “Please eat this. It will help you feel better.”

Silverpaw let out a series of deep, frantic gasps, and then craned his neck, licking up the poppy seed. 

“Please…please have mercy on us,” he moaned. 

“Come lie down in my den for a bit,” said Hemlocktail, nudging Silverpaw to his den. He let the shaking apprentice lean on him as he took him inside, with Duskpaw following. An uneasy silence had fallen over the camp. A few cats murmured to each other, watching Silverpaw disappear into the medicine den with narrowed eyes. Lynxheart looked down at the ground as his heart sank for his new Clan mate. Would Silverpaw ever recover from the horrors of the Dead Place?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sutinky" is Ukrainian for "dusk" and "sriblo" means "silver."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this chapter:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDk4cWs7hH4

“Hey, Duskpaw, wait up!” Lynxheart panted as his apprentice ran in front of him.

“Sorry, I guess I’m just excited about my first Gathering,” Duskpaw purred. 

Most of ForestClan had spent most of the afternoon and evening, taking the long journey through the woods towards the field used for Gatherings. As they neared the place, the moon appeared high in the sky, glowing big and bright. 

“I hope Silverpaw doesn’t freak out during the Gathering and embarrass us,” Lynxheart heard Thornpaw murmuring to Cherrypaw from nearby. In a mocking voice, he cried out, “Oh no, the world is ending, we’re all going to die!” 

Frowning, Lynxheart looked around for Silverpaw, hoping he couldn’t hear Thornpaw making fun of him. He was relieved to see him towards the front of the crowd, bounding along Spidershade. Even Silverpaw seemed to be in a good mood tonight. 

“I can’t wait to meet the other Clans,” Duskpaw said to Lynxheart. “It’ll be awesome to hear Wolfstar announce my new name--Duskpaw, of ForestClan! It has a nice ring to it. Although, my name won’t end in ‘paw’ forever.” 

“You’re as excited as a kit about to venture outside the nursery for the first time,” Lynxheart purred. 

“Ha, yeah, my mother had to keep a close watch on me from the time I opened my eyes, cuz I kept running off!” Duskpaw chuckled. A slight sadness then tinged his amber eyes.

“I wish she could be here, to see me and Silverpaw becoming warriors…and Aleks, too.”

“They wouldn’t want you to be sad,” said Lynxheart, nudging Duskpaw’s head with his own. “They’d be proud of you.”

“Then I shall make them proud, wherever they are.” The spark quickly returned to Duskpaw’s eyes.

They reached the Gathering field. The tall grass swayed slightly in the light breeze, illuminated by the silver moonlight. From across the field, Lynxheart could see a large group of cats gathered around. He and Duskpaw bounded along beside the other ThunderClan warriors, eager for the meeting to begin. From on top of the tall rocks that loomed ahead, sat Shellstar of LakeClan and Drizzlestar of CliffClan. Shellstar’s speckled white coat and pale yellow eyes glowed almost as brightly as the moon, while Drizzlestar’s gray coat blended in with the nearby cliff wall. At the base of the rocks sat the deputies, medicine cats, and messenger cats of each Clan. 

A LakeClan warrior named Sunnymist came hurrying over to Tulipwhisker, meowing a greeting. She was a beautiful white she-cat with alternating silver and yellow tabby stripes, and bright blue eyes. 

“How are you?” she asked Tulipwhisker. 

“Everything’s fine in ForestClan,” Lyxnheart’s sister replied. 

“Guess what? My sister, Icewillow, had kits!” Sunnymist exclaimed. “Their names are Cranekit and Ripplekit, and they’re so cute!” 

While the two she-cats chatted, Lynxheart led Duskpaw over to where the messenger cats of LakeClan and CliffClan were sitting together. Peachglow, the LakeClan messenger cat, was a pale ginger she-cat, and Skywind was a tom with long light brown fur and sky blue eyes. They looked up curiously as the two ForestClan cats came over to them.

“Hi there!” Duskpaw greeted. “I’m Duskpaw, and I’m training to become ForestClan’s new messenger cat!”

“Oh, well nice to meet you, Duskpaw,” said the CliffClan messenger cat, Skywind, with a surprised but friendly blink. 

“You’re awfully big for a “paw”,” said the LakeClan messenger cat, Peachglow, tilting her head curiously.

“Well, actually, I just joined ForestClan,” Duskpaw admitted. “My brother and I grew up in the ruins of where the Great Disaster happened, but recently, Lynxheart here found us and brought us to ForestClan. Wolfstar’s having him be my mentor.” 

“Oh…I see,” said Peachglow, exchanging a bewildered look with Skywind. Nonetheless, they kept speaking to Duskpaw in friendly tones.

“Welcome to being a messenger cat, Duskpaw,” said Skywind. “I suppose we’ll be seeing you around soon.” 

Duskpaw nodded. “I can assure you that I am a very fast runner. I may not be Clan born, but I will certainly do my best to become Runningdeer’s successor.”

At that moment, a loud yowl rang out from up above. Shellstar was signaling for the Gathering to begin. 

“All is well in LakeClan,” she said as the chattering died down. “Icewillow has had two kits, Cranekit and Ripplekit, who are growing up fast. We are very sad to have learned of the death of Runningdeer, and we have been keeping an eye out for any large predators in our territory. But so far, we haven’t seen any signs of one, so we can only hope that whatever animal killed Runningdeer has moved on elsewhere.”

Drizzlestar spoke next. 

“CliffClan is doing fine as well,” the flecked gray tom announced. “One of our elders, Tanglebriar, passed away. But there’s good news as well—Aspendust is expecting kits, and three of our apprentices have just completed their training. Their names are now Bearpelt, Bramblesnow, and Cragclaw!” 

The three young warriors stood proudly in the middle of the crowd as everyone loudly chanted their names. Then, it was Wolfstar’s turn to speak. 

“We have had quite a lot going on in ForestClan lately,” the black tom said, his bright yellow eyes gazing up on the crowd below. “Dustycloud and Patchmoon’s kits are doing well, and two moons ago, we began training Cherrypaw and Thornpaw.”

Wolfstar paused for a moment as everyone chanted the apprentices’ names, and then continued. 

“As all of you will have heard by now, we found Runningdeer lying dead near LakeClan’s territory," the ForestClan' leaders tone grew solemn. "His body was covered in huge wounds, indicating that some large creature killed him.” 

Nervous murmurs rippled through the crowd. 

“At first we thought it might have been a wolf or a bear, but one of our elders, Blackthorn, believed that something else was responsible for slaying our messenger cat,” said Wolfstar. He went on to talk about the Dead Place and the Dark Ones, and Lynxheart’s journey to find Duskpaw. Many cats looked bewildered and were murmuring to each other.

“So, we now have two new apprentices, Duskpaw and Silverpaw,” Wolfstar concluded. 

 

“Duskpaw! Silverpaw!” the crowd chanted, although sounded less enthusiastic as they’d been for Cherrypaw and Thornpaw. A few cats cast suspicious looks in Duskpaw’s direction. However, he didn’t seem to notice. Peachglow and Skywind were approvingly shouting his name. Lynxheart was glad that at least the other messenger cats had accepted Duskpaw.

After Wolfstar was finished speaking, the crowd grew noisy again, spreading a little more gossip before it was time to leave.

“I can’t believe ForestClan is letting _rogues_ in.” That disgusted growl came from one of the new CliffClan warriors, Cragclaw. Silverpaw shrank back as the slender dark brown tom glared in his direction.

“I can’t believe CliffClan keeps rude cats in,” Spidershade retorted, coming to stand beside Silverpaw.

Cragclaw let out an angry hiss, his fur rising between his shoulders. 

“Hey, there’s a truce here, remember?” his Clan mate, Bramblesnow snapped. She cast an apologetic gaze to Spidershade and Silverpaw. 

“Is the Dead Place real??” A black-furred LakeClan apprentice gasped, coming up to Silverpaw. 

“Um…yes, it is,” said Silverpaw shyly.

“Was there really a big explosion there!?” another apprentice asked. 

“A long time ago, there was,” Silverpaw replied. “The plants and stuff are starting to grow back.”

“And these monsters, are they real too!?” the black apprentice cried. 

“I…I don’t want to talk about them,” Silverpaw stuttered. 

“Yes, they are real,” said Duskpaw, coming over to stand by his brother.

“They are not to be messed with,” he told the younger apprentices firmly. “They are huge, and move very, very fast. If you see one, you need to run.”

“I’m not scared of anything!” A third LakeClan apprentice puffed out her chest. 

“Well, it’s good to be brave, but also good to be reasonable,” said Duskpaw.

A purr rose in Lynxheart’s chest—he couldn’t believe how Duskpaw seemed to already behave just like a Clan cat. Silverpaw went back towards Spidershade, seeming overwhelmed by it all. Lynxheart hoped that, within time, the pale gray tabby would become more confident. 

“Are cats from the other Clans always that mean?” Silverpaw asked as the ForestClan cats made their way back home. 

“It was just that one CliffClan warrior who was rude,” Duskpaw pointed out. “There were plenty of nice cats there. I look forward to seeing Peachglow and Skywind again!”

Silverpaw nodded, looking at the ground. 

“Hey, if Cragclaw gives you trouble for being a rogue at the next Gathering, I’ll chew his whiskers off,” said Spidershade.

Silverpaw let out a small purr of laughter. “I don’t think whiskers would taste that good,” he said.

Spidershade shrugged. “Who knows? I haven’t tried them yet.” 

It seemed the stingy warrior had warmed up to his awkward new apprentice. Lyxnheart looked over at Duskpaw, who looked quite awestruck at having just attended his first Gathering. Lynxheart was happy to finally be a mentor, but was he going to be as good of one as Spidershade?


	14. Chapter 14

Grayspots nudged Lynxheart awake. 

“Hey, Wolfstar wants to speak with you and Duskpaw,” he said. 

Lynxheart got to his paws, nervousness quickly arousing him from his sleepiness. What did Wolfstar want to say to him? He headed out of the warrior’s den and over to the Leader’s Tree, where Wolfstar was sitting at the base. Being early morning, not very many cats were up and about yet. The quietness made Lyxnheart even more nervous as he approached the leader. 

“What is it, Wolfstar?” Lynxheart turned his head to see Duskpaw coming up behind him. 

“I apologize for having you wake up so early,” said Wolfstar. “But I think the time has come for Duskpaw to make his first journey to the other Clans.” 

Duskpaw gasped, his eyes widening with excitement. 

“Lynxheart will take you to the LakeClan and CliffClan camps,” Wolfstar explained. “You’ll need to know how to get there in order to be a medicine cat. Your journey will take a few sunrises, but I expect that won’t be a problem for you.” 

“But I’ve never been to the other Clans,” said Lynxheart with a frown. “How will I know how to get there?” 

“LakeClan is straight to the west of the Gathering field, and you can find CliffClan by traveling straight up a slope near the Gathering area,” said Wolfstar. The big black tom purred. “They aren’t too difficult to find. You found the Dead Place, Lynxheart, so I trust that you can find the other camps.” 

Lynxheart wasn’t so sure about that, but he dipped his head to his leader. “I will do my best.” 

“You should probably head out sometime soon,” said Wolfstar. “You have a long way to walk. Go and ask Hemlocktail to prepare you some traveling herbs to keep up your strength.” 

Duskpaw walked with a bounce in his step as they went over to the medicine den. 

“Someone’s excited,” said Lynxheart with a snort. 

“Well, aren’t you?” said Duskpaw. “You haven’t seen the other camps either.”

As they peered into the medicine den, they realized that Hemlocktail was still asleep in his nest. 

“Hey, Hemlocktail!” said Lynxheart. The medicine cat gave a soft snore in response. With an irritated grunt, Lynxheart went into the den and tapped Hemlocktail with a paw.

“GAAH!” Hemlocktail startled awake, leaping out of his nest with his fur on end. 

“Sorry!” Lynxheart exclaimed, holding back a purr of laughter. “Um, Wolfstar is having me take Duskpaw to LakeClan and CliffClan, so we came to ask for traveling herbs.”

“Oh…alright.” Hemlocktail shook his fur back into place. With a note of embarrassment in his voice, he turned towards the storage corner and said, “Just wait a moment, and I’ll prepare you some.” 

“Are all medicine cats as funny as he is?” Duskpaw purred as he followed Lynxheart outside.

Lynxheart shrugged. “I don’t know what the others are like, but Hemlocktail has always acted like any one of us, even though he has such an important job. It's what I like about him.”

Duskpaw nodded in agreement. “Where do you think we should go to first, LakeClan or CliffClan?”

Before Lynxheart could respond, Goldenleaf came over. “What’s this about going to the other Clans?” he asked curiously.

As Lyxnheart told his father about the mission, Silverpaw came hurrying over to Duskpaw. 

“You’re leaving!?” he cried, looking alarmed. 

“Only for a few sunrises,” said Duskpaw. “I’m a messenger cat. It’s my duty to travel to the other Clans.” 

“Oh, right,” said Silverpaw, looking down at his paws. Lynxheart felt a pang of sympathy for him, as he probably didn’t want his brother to leave him with all these cats that were   
still fairly strange to him. 

Duskpaw gave Silverpaw a lick on the head. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back before you know it. You can show me all the cool battle moves that Spidershade shows you when I return.” 

That seemed to cheer Silverpaw up a bit, as he purred. While he and Duskpaw talked some more, Goldenleaf took Lynxheart off to the side. 

“What’s wrong?” he murmured to his son. “You don’t look very excited to go.”

Lynxheart sighed. “I don’t think I’m brave enough to be Duskpaw’s mentor,” he admitted. “I was really nervous for the whole journey to the Dead Place. I kept worrying that the Dark Ones would suddenly jump out and get us. And after we did see them, I didn’t sleep for three nights.” Lynxheart shuddered violently as he remembered the dark depths of the reactor.

“There’s no need to feel ashamed for being afraid,” said Goldenleaf gently. “You went on a journey that no cat ever had before, and had a very terrifying experience there.”   
Lynxheart nodded. “But shouldn’t I be braver, now that I’ve gone through that?”

“I think you’re very brave, son.” Goldenleaf wrapped his tail around his shoulders. “Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not afraid—it means that you put aside your fear. You were afraid to go on that journey, but you went anyways. You went into that dark place, too. Honestly, I’m not sure if I could have made myself go in there.” 

“Well…when you put it that way, I suppose I am brave,” Lynxheart murmured. 

“You are.” Goldenleaf gave him a lick on the ear. “You’re more ready to be a mentor.” 

“Thanks, Father,” said Lynxheart, brushing his muzzle with Goldenleaf’s. 

 

As Duskpaw and Lynxheart walked through the forest, Duskpaw smacked his lips and stuck out his tongue, which was stained dark green from Hemlocktail’s traveling herb mixture.

“It tastes pretty bad, doesn’t it?” said Lynxheart, still recoiling from the bitter taste that lingered in his mouth. 

“Yeah, although I’ve tasted worse things,” said Duskpaw. “One time, when my brothers and I were kits, we dared each other to eat some strange dead animal we found. We were vomiting all night.” 

“Sounds like you all got into trouble a lot,” said Lynxheart.

“We did,” said Duskpaw with a purr. “Another time, we climbed up to the roof of the place with that big ditch we slept in. Poor Silverpaw got so scared to come down, our father had to climb up and drag him down.” 

“Do you miss your old life?” Lynxheart asked curiously.

Duskpaw grew quiet for a moment. Then, he said, “I miss parts of it, like my mother, and the other cats we grew up with. We were a very close group. But I was always so afraid of those monsters. My father insisted that they were good, but I never believed that, nor did Silverpaw or Aleks. There was something just…very wrong about that place.” 

“I could tell.” Lynxheart shuddered.

“Well, at least I’m here now, where everything is so green and alive.” Duskpaw closed his eyes and breathed in the scents of the forest. 

“You know, you’re really optimistic, for someone who’s been through as much as you have,” said Lynxheart. “I wish I had your spirit.” 

“Well, when you grow up in a place like that, you learn to look on the bright sight of things to get you through the day,” said Duskpaw. “Or at least, I did. Poor Silverpaw has always struggled to cope with everything.” 

With a sigh, he added, “I don’t hate my father. He wasn’t a bad cat, he was just misguided. But I don’t think Silverpaw has ever forgiven him. I can’t really blame him, but I wish he would let go of the past and see that things are a lot better now.” 

“Give him some time, and he will,” said Lynxheart. 

Before they headed for the Gathering field, Lynxheart took some time to show Duskpaw his favorite parts of the forest. It was so vast that there were some parts that the new ForestClan member hadn’t yet seen! They went through a clearing of bright, sweet-smelling flowers, past a large pond with a little island in the middle, and an enormous oak that was home to many critters. They took a break there to catch some of them. 

“I can’t get over how huge this place is,” said Duskpaw as he bit into a squirrel. “Do you go through the whole territory in one day?” 

“Oh, goodness no,” said Lynxheart. “Some days we stay close to the camp, but other times we venture far out, such as if Hemlocktail needs certain herbs or we’re having trouble finding prey during leaf-bare.” 

“I see,” said Duskpaw. “So, do the Clans ever fight?” 

“Well, we’re so spread out, that we don’t have to fight over territory,” said Lynxheart. “But clashes between the Clans have happened before, from what I’ve heard. It’s rare, though. We mostly use our battle training to defend ourselves against predators.” 

“We were taught that, too,” said Duskpaw. “Although, you Clan cats seem much better skilled in battle than we are.” 

“You and your brothers held off pretty well against that fox,” Lynxheart recalled. “I’m sure you’ll complete your apprenticeship in no time.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Duskpaw purred. “There’s still so much I want to learn from you.” 

“Really?” Lynxheart tilted his head. “Like what?” 

“Just…anything, really,” said Duskpaw. “You’ve opened up my eyes to so much and I can’t wait to see what else you have to show me.”

“Oh…well, thank you,” said Lynxheart quietly, his ears burning with the flattery. “I’ll…I’ll do my best.” He ended the conversation by digging into the finch he’d caught. 

After eating, the two of them headed off on the path that would take them to the end of the forest. As they crossed the long bridge over the deep, narrow gulch, Duskpaw curiously peered down. 

“The river’s down there,” Lynxheart told him. “It flows out of the forest and along the border between LakeClan and CliffClan.” 

“I see,” said Duskpaw. “I’ve heard of rivers, but I’ve never seen one before!” 

“You’re like a kit, fascinated by everything,” Lynxheart purred. 

“My father always taught us that the forest dangerous, and we should never go in there,” said Duskpaw. “It’s just so eye-opening to see how wonderful it actually is!” 

It was Sunhigh by the time they reached the Gathering field. Tired, they took a nap in the tall heather, which provided comfortable shade from the green-leaf heat. When they awoke, they continued making their way across the field. 

“Which Clan should we go to first?” asked Duskpaw.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” said Lynxheart. “You decide.” 

“I guess LakeClan then,” said Duskpaw. “They seem pretty interesting.” 

As they headed west, a cloud passed over the sun, and a light rain began to fall. Lynxheart welcomed the cool mist on his pelt, tired of how hot it had been lately. The flat ground soon gave way to the thin, spindly trees and sandy ground of LakeClan’s territory. The rain stopped as the afternoon slowly gave way to dusk.

“We should be getting to the camp soon,” said Lynxheart, jumping over a puddle. Suddenly, his fur stood on end as he recognized the area. Close by were the boulders that Runningdeer’s body had been found next to. Was the Dark One that killed him still lurking around here? Lynxheart kept on walking, hoping that Duskpaw couldn’t detect his nervousness. As the sky grew dimmer, long shadows began to stretch across the ground. They passed by a hollow that was flooded with shallow, murky water, which crooked, gnarly trees grew from. Their long, twisted roots resembled giant sets of claws. Lynxheart couldn’t help but shudder. He hoped they would reach the LakeClan camp soon. 

Suddenly, with a rumbling growl, something ran up from behind Lynxheart and slammed him down to the ground.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this chapter: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcO41wh7jco&

Lynxheart let out a screech of terror, flailing in the sand as a pair of paws pinned him down. 

“Lampreytail! Get off of him!” 

Lyxnheart looked up, seeing that his attacker was a light gray tabby cat. His yellow eyes glared menacingly down at him as he curled his lip. Suddenly, several other cats came running over. 

“There are intruders on our territory!” the tabby tom spat. 

“You idiot, that’s ForestClan’s new messenger cat, and his mentor!” Sunnymist came up to Lampreytail, pushing him off of Lynxheart. “Or were you not paying attention at the last Gathering?” she growled. 

Lampreytail flattened his ears in embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said to Lynxheart, although hostility still shone in his eyes. “I didn’t get a good view of you at the Gathering.” 

“Oooh, it’s Duskpaw!” A ginger tabby apprentice came bouncing up to him. “I’m Flashpaw, remember me from the Gathering?” 

Duskpaw purred. “Of course I do.”

“What brings you to our territory?” Sunnymist asked curiously. 

“I’m showing Duskpaw the other Clans,” said Lynxheart, shaking sand from his coat. 

“Oh, well then, I suppose we should escort you back to camp,” said Sunnymist. “We’re on patrol, but we were about to go back, since it’s getting dark.” 

“You haven’t seen any signs of the, um…monsters, have you?” Lynxheart asked quietly.

Sunnymist shook her head. “Thank StarClan no, but we’re still keeping an eye out for them.” 

As they walked back to camp, the LakeClan warrior mumbled in Lynxheart’s ear, “Sorry about my brother, Lampreytail. He means well, but he’s rather impulsive.” 

“It’s alright, I understand why some cats might be on edge right now,” Lynxheart whispered. 

Flashpaw and two other apprentices bounced alongside Duskpaw, bombarding him with questions. 

“What do messenger cats learn?” 

“What was the Dead Place like?”

“Did you fight those monsters!?” 

“Alright, let’s give Duskpaw some space,” said a dark orange she-cat, leading Flashpaw away. 

“But Firecreek, I’ve never met a rogue before!” Flashpaw whined. “I want to know more about him!” 

“He’s not a rogue anymore, he’s a messenger cat.” Firecreek’s blue eyes were stern. “You must show him respect, and not harass him.” 

“Oh, I don’t mind being asked questions,” Duskpaw purred. “But perhaps not so many at once.” 

At last, they reached the LakeClan camp. Lynxheart and Duskpaw stared in awe at the huge, clear expanse of water that stretched out before them. It extended quite a ways into the distance, surrounded on all sides by soft sand and patches of trees. The camp was at the south side of the lake—patches of reeds and tall grass dotted the shore, which appeared to be used as dens. Several cats were there—they all turned their heads as Lynxheart and Duskpaw were led into the camp. Over by the edge of the lake was a mound of huge boulders, which Shellstar was sitting on top of. Upon seeing the visitors, the LakeClan leader made her way down and came over to greet them. 

“Nice job finding our camp,” she complimented.

“It is an honor to be here,” said Lynxheart, dipping his head. He felt a bit intimidated—he’d never seen Shellstar up close, and was just now realizing that she was large for a she-cat. Her pale yellow eyes matched the color of the shore, and her thick white coat was speckled with tiny dark brown flecks. 

“Runningdeer got lost his first time traveling here. A patrol found him stuck in a swamp, and they had to help get him out,” Shellstar said with a slight purr. “But it seems you’ve made it here without any problems.” 

A dark brown tabby tom with a long, feathery red tail came up to Shellstar, eyeing the ForestClan cats curiously. 

“This is our deputy, Loontail,” Shellstar introduced them. “Loontail, why don’t you give them a tour of the camp?”

“Certainly,” said Loontail with a nod. He beckoned with his tail for Lynxheart and Duskpaw to follow him. 

“Those boulders are where Shellstar addresses the Clan,” the deputy told them. “Beneath them is a space that she uses as her den.”

Loontail pointed with his paw towards the entrance of a small, stony cave that seemed to be quite deep. 

“That’s our medicine cat Grebefeather’s den,” said the deputy. “She prefers to keep to herself, so you may not see her.” 

He then nodded towards another cave that was more above ground, its sides covered in ivy.

“That’s our nursery. The apprentices and warriors use the reeds as their den, while the elders sleep in that ditch over there.” Loontail flicked his bushy red tail towards a scoop in the sand that was sheltered by wide overhanging ferns around the edge. A few old looking cats were asleep in there. 

“We’ll find a place for you to spend the night,” said Loontail. “If you’re hungry, you can ask one of the warriors to catch a fish for you.” 

“Thanks,” said Lynxheart, trying not to make a face. He and Duskpaw would probably sneak off into the woods and catch some mice. 

Over by the lake’s edge, a pale gray tabby queen with long fur was watching her two kits play. The tiny cats squealed as they pushed each other into the water. 

“That’s my sister, Icewillow,” said Sunnymist, padding over to the ForestClan toms. “And those are her kits, Cranekit and Ripplekit.” 

“Sunnymist!” One of the kits noticed that her aunt was back and came running up to her, the other kit following close behind. 

“Who are you?” The first kit, a light gray tabby, tilted her head curiously as she looked up at Lynxheart. 

“These cats are from ForestClan,” Sunnymist introduced them. “This is Lynxheart. He is training Duskpaw here to become ForestClan’s new messenger cat.”

The other kit, a fluffy gray tabby and white tom, stood up on his hind legs to get level with Lynxheart and Duskpaw. 

“I’m Cranekit, and this is my sister Ripplekit,” he said. “We’re going to be warriors too!” 

“Nice to meet you,” Duskpaw purred. 

“Hey, how come Duskpaw is as big as Lynxheart?” Ripplekit mewed. “I thought apprentices were supposed to be smaller than warriors.” 

“I wasn’t born in ForestClan, actually,” Duskpaw explained. “I’m from a place far away, and I just joined them. That’s why I’ve started my training later than most apprentices.”

“Oh,” said Ripplekit.

“Do they have any good games from where you’re from?” asked Cranekit. “Ripplekit and I like to throw shells and pebbles across the water and see which one skips faster.”   
Ripplekit looked around, and found a tiny white shell. She picked it up in her teeth and flung it out over the water. It skipped across the surface for about a tail length, and then sunk. Cranekit picked up a pebble and flung it in the same direction. It bounced across the water, and sank about a whisker length ahead of Ripplekit’s shell.

“Frog dung!” growled Ripplekit. “You always beat me.” 

“Nice job, both of you,” Lynxheart complimented. 

“Let me try,” said Duskpaw. He picked up a small, smooth rock and tossed it out to the water. It rapidly skipped across the surface, leaping for about a fox length and a half before   
sinking.

“Whoa!” both kits cried.

“Duskpaw, you are so cool!” Crankeit squeaked. 

“Alright, you two,” said Icewillow. “It’s getting late, time to go into the nursery.”

“Can’t we stay up a bit longer?” Ripplekit pleaded. “The sun’s still up.”

“Not for long.” Icewillow nudged her. “Come along, kits. You can play with Duskpaw some more tomorrow, since he’s spending the night.”

“See you, Duskpaw!” Cranekit called to his new friend as he followed Ripplekit and his mother back towards the nursery. 

“See you!” Duskpaw called back. He turned to Lynxheart and purred. “Kits are so cute.”

“Oh, hey Duskpaw!” Peachglow was hurrying towards them. 

“It’s good to see you again,” said Duskpaw as the she-cat came to a halt in front of him. “This camp is amazing!” 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” said Peachglow, looking out over the lake, which was glowing orange as the sun set. “Of course, I’ve seen the ForestClan camp too, and it’s beautiful as well…but I was born here, so of course I think the LakeClan camp is the best,” she purred. 

“I’m curious, what sorts of prey do you catch?” asked Duskpaw. 

“Fish and waterfowl, mostly,” Peachglow replied. “Have you eaten yet? I can catch a fish for you, if you want.”

Lynxheart was about to politely decline the offer, when Duskpaw said, “Sure, thanks!”

“Come with me, then.” Peachglow led them to where a fallen log was partially submerged in the lake. She jumped up on the bark, watching the surface carefully. Suddenly, a dark shape appeared, and the pale ginger she-cat lashed out with her paw, sending a fat fish flying up into the air. She stood up on her hind legs and skillfully caught the wriggling creature in her mouth. 

“Wow!” Duskpaw exclaimed. 

Peachglow lay the fish down on the shore, where she showed the toms how to peel back the scales to get to the flesh beneath. It was quite big—Duskpaw and Lynxheart would be able to share it. Lynxheart let his apprentice have the first bite. 

“Oh, wow, this is so good!” Duskpaw exclaimed. “Lynxheart, you have to try it!”

Lynxheart was trying not to wrinkle his nose—the strange, salty smell of the fish was terrible. With a deep breath, he leaned forward and pulled out a small chunk of flesh. He closed his eyes as he chewed, expecting to gag. But…surprisingly, the meat was quite flavorful. 

“Fish taste a lot better than they smell,” Peachglow chuckled, as if she’d sensed Lynxheart’s hesitation. 

Lynxheart and Duskpaw devoured the fish, feeling quite full afterwards. They spent the night in a patch of thick grass near the medicine den, looking out at the lake as it reflected the stars above. Lynxheart was quickly lulled to sleep by his full stomach and Duskpaw’s gentle snoring. 

Then, Lynxheart was dreaming again. He was surrounded in darkness, and the floor beneath his paws was hard and cold. Lynxheart desperately sniffed at the air, trying to pick up any scents to identify his surroundings, and hoping that he wasn’t where he thought he was. Suddenly, the air began to pulsate with energy, as if something was approaching him. Silent thuds shook the ground, matching in rhythm with Lynxheart’s heartbeat as came up from behind him…

“Hey, wake up!” 

“GAH!” Lynxheart startled awake to see Ripplekit’s little face staring into his. 

“The sun’s up now! We can play some more!” she squeaked. 

“Ripplekit, that’s a rude way to wake them up!” Icewillow snapped, coming over to scold her kit. “I’m sorry, she’s just so full of energy this morning,” the queen apologized to the ForestClan cats. 

“It’s alright,” said Lynxheart, smoothing his ruffled fur with his tongue. “It’s about time we got up, anyways.” 

Over by the lake, Cranekit was paddling around in the shallow end.

“Come on, let’s go swimming!” Ripplekit squeaked. 

“Oh, well, um…I don’t know how to swim,” said Lynxheart.

“I do!” said Duskpaw. “Why don’t we show Lynxheart how, Ripplekit?”

Lynxheart hesitantly followed Duskpaw and Ripplekit to the lake. Ripplekit leaped in, while Duskpaw carefully waded into the water.

“Come on, Lynxheart,” Duskpaw purred. “You won’t melt in the water.”

With a sigh, Lynxheart stepped into the lake. He winced—it was surprisingly cold. He walked slowly in, until the water was up to his belly. Flattening his ears in discomfort, he said, “Sorry, but I don’t think swimming is for me.”

“How do you know that if you’ve never tried it?” said Duskpaw. He slowly churned his legs, propelling himself through the water. “It’s easy—my brothers and I used to swim in a lake near the reactor when we were kits. Just move your legs in a circular motion, and you’ll stay afloat.” 

“Come on, Lynxheart!” Cranekit called to him. “Swim out to me!” 

Lynxheart gritted his teeth and walked further into the lake, until his paws began to float off the bottom. Copying Duskpaw’s movements, he managed to swim forward until he touched noses with Cranekit.

“Yay, Lynxheart, you did it!” the tom-kit cheered.

“I can swim farther than all of you!” Ripplekit exclaimed as she paddled past Cranekit and Lynxheart. 

“Gotcha!” Ripplekit squeaked as Lynxheart lunged forward and gently grabbed her tail in his teeth.   
“Don’t worry Ripplekit, I’ll save you!” Cranekit cried, playfully splashing at Lynxheart. 

 

“Thanks for playing with us.” 

Lynxheart and Duskpaw nodded to the kits, which were among the cats seeing them off. 

“It was fun,” said Lynxheart, licking at a patch of his fur that was still slightly wet. 

“Will you come back and play with us again?” Cranekit asked. 

“I’m a messenger cat, so you’re bound to see me around here again,” Duskpaw purred.

“We certainly look forward to it,” said Peachglow. 

“Be safe, both of you,” said Shellstar. 

“We will,” Lynxheart promised the LakeClan leader. 

With that, they left the lake, heading for the cliffs off in the distance.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this chapter:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcfnt37J1nQ&

“I hope CliffClan is as friendly as LakeClan,” said Duskpaw.

“Drizzlestar has always seemed pretty nice at Gatherings,” Lynxheart panted. They’d been climbing up a rocky slope for most of the day, which seemed to get steeper as they went along. Far down below, they could see the field, where the tall grass was dancing in the breeze. Lynxheart shuddered as the cool air ruffled his pelt. Up above, the sky was growing thick with dark clouds.

“It looks like it’s going to storm, I hope we can reach the camp before then,” said Lynxheart. He gasped as suddenly, he slipped on a cluster of small rocks and went sliding down the slope. Duskpaw darted over, grabbing him by the scruff and steadying him on his paws.

“Thanks,” Lynxheart gasped. Then, he chuckled. “You’re supposed to be my apprentice, but you know what? I’ve learned a lot from you.” 

“Well, I realize that we don’t seem to have a traditional mentor--apprentice relationship,” Duskpaw purred. “But still, I’m pleasantly surprised to hear this.”  
Lynxheart nodded. “I’ve seen more of the world and tried new things because of you,” he said. “I don’t know why StarClan chose me to come find you, but I’m glad they did.” 

“Well, why wouldn’t they choose you?” said Duskpaw. “You’re brave and clever, and have a good sense of direction.” 

“I…I guess I do,” Lynxheart stammered. 

As they continued up the cliff, the sound of a chattering stream up ahead came to their ears. Lynxheart looked up as he heard the screech of an eagle soaring overhead, not realizing that he was stepping off of a ledge. 

“Aaah!” Lynxheart yelped as he went tumbling down through the air. He was falling straight towards a wide stream down below, with another ledge stretching out out over it. He landed painfully on the stony surface. 

“Lynxheart, are you okay!?” 

The golden tabby and white tom groaned. His head spun as he struggled to his paws. He looked up to see Duskpaw staring down at him from several tail lengths above.

“Yeah, nothing’s broken, I don’t think!” Lynxheart called back. However, the ledge was completely surrounded by water. He could see the other side of the stream a few fox-lengths away, but the water looked deep and was moving swiftly—he wouldn’t be able to swim across it. Turning around, he saw that he’d fallen down a very steep, almost straight drop. The ForestClan warrior’s heart sank—he wouldn’t be able to climb back up, either. 

“Hey, do you need help!?” 

Lynxheart whipped his head back around, startled to see a group of cats looking at him from the opposite side of the stream. He recognized these warriors, named Bramblesnow, Bearpelt, and Cragclaw. With them was a fourth cat, a silver tabby she-cat that he didn’t know. Lynxheart’s heart leaped out of his chest—they’d found CliffClan! 

“Yeah, I fell from the ledge up top, and I don’t think I can swim across the stream!” Lynxheart called to them. “I was showing my Clan’s new messenger cat, Duskpaw, how to reach your camp—he’s up there!”

Bramblesnow, a slender dark brown tabby she-cat with a white face, gazed up at Duskpaw with her blue eyes. 

“Bearpelt, go to where Duskpaw is, and show him how to get to where we are,” she said. She nodded to the silver tabby she-cat. “We’ll help Lynxheart swim across. Cragclaw, stay here on the bank in case we need help getting to shore.” 

To Lynxheart’s amazement, the two CliffClan she-cats slipped into the water and began paddling towards him. He’d thought that only LakeClan cats could swim, but they were moving swiftly through the current! 

“Jump in,” said Bramblesnow as she reached the ledge where Lynxheart was. “We’ll support you on both sides as we swim back.”

Lynxheart was hesitant—he was bulkier and more muscular than these two she-cats, could they really keep him afloat? 

“Come on, it’ll be okay,” Bramblesnow told him. 

With a deep breath, Lynxheart leaped off the ledge into the swirling cold water. He landed awkwardly, yelping as the water sprayed up into his eyes. He felt the current tugging at him as he struggled to touch the bottom. Then, the two she-cats pressed tightly against each of his sides, guiding him through the water. He was surprised at how strong they were. 

“That’s it, keep going,” Bramblesnow meowed. “Move your legs in a circular motion, straight towards the shore.” 

Lynxheart remembered how he’d stayed afloat in the lake, although the current made it harder for him to move his legs. Gritting his teeth, he paddled as hard as he could, hoping his weight wouldn’t sink the she-cats down. Before he knew it, they were right near the shore. Lynxheart gasped in surprise as the stream suddenly became shallower, and his paw touched the rocky bottom. Cragclaw stretched his neck out and grabbed Lynxheart by the scruff, pulling him as Bramblesnow and the other cat helped him stumble onto the shore.

“Thank you!” Lynxheart gasped, shaking water from his pelt.

“No problem,” Bramblesnow purred. “Just be more careful in the future.”

“I know you're Bramblesnow,” Lynxheart told her, then turned his head to the silver she-cat. “But who are you?”

“Ivyshine,” she said with a friendly blink of her green eyes. 

“Oh, right, I’ve seen you at Gatherings before…sorry,” said Lynxheart sheepishly. 

At that moment, Bearpelt and Duskpaw came hurrying over. 

“Are you sure you’re okay, Lynxheart!?” Duskpaw panted.

Lynxheart nodded, licking at his shoulder, which was bleeding slightly from the impact of his fall.

“I thought only LakeClan cats could swim,” he told his rescuers. 

“Nope, we can too. Ever since a cat drowned in this stream, everyone in our Clan is taught how to swim across it as apprentices,” said Bramblesnow. 

“We CliffClan warriors are also much less clumsier than other cats,” Cragclaw growled, narrowing his eyes at Lynxheart.

“Are you forgetting the time you fell into a patch of thorny brambles as an apprentice, Cragclaw?” said Bearpelt with a purr. “It took us forever to free you, and a bunch of your fur got ripped out. You were covered in bald spots!”

“Shut up!” Cragclaw hissed at his Clan mate. 

“We should head back to the camp, it’s nearly sunset,” said Ivyshine. 

As he and Duskpaw followed the CliffClan warriors and chatted with them, he couldn’t help but appreciate how friendly they were…well, most of them, anyways. Cragclaw hung back, not speaking. Eventually, they came to a set of giant boulders, with a small space in between two of them. 

“This is the entrance to our camp,” said Bramblesnow. “It’s very well-guarded from predators and the weather.” 

“Wow,” Lynxheart breathed as he squeezed through the gap. Before him was a large dip in the earth, covered in thick gorse bushes. The camp was surrounded by boulders and tall screens of brambles. In the distance, the topmost part of the cliff towered high above the camp, seeming to almost touch the clouds. 

“Who are these cats?” A light gray tom with ruffled fur and a deeply notched ear came up to the patrol, his ears flattened suspiciously. 

“Calm down, Gustfur. It’s just ForestClan’s new messenger cat in training, and his mentor,” said Bramblesnow. “They’re here to show Duskpaw our camp.” 

“Oh…er, right.” Gustfur licked at his foreleg, seeming embarrassed. “I should let Drizzlestar know that they’re here, then.” 

As the gray tom walked away, a pale brown she-cat emerged into the camp with another patrol behind her. Lynxheart recognized her from Gatherings as the CliffClan deputy, Robinsong. 

“Well, if it isn’t the new ForestClan messenger cat,” she said, coming up to Duskpaw. 

He bowed his head respectfully. “Pleased to meet you,” said the dark ginger tom with a slight intimidated tone to his voice. 

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t bite…much,” the deputy purred, her amber eyes glowing teasingly. 

“Now Robinsong, don’t scare our visitors away,” came another joking voice. 

Lynxheart and Duskpaw turned to see Drizzlestar walking towards them. He was a large, tall light gray tom with darker gray flecks all over his coat. There was calmness in his   
blue eyes as he gazed at the visitors. 

“Hello, Drizzlestar,” said Lynxheart as he and Duskpaw dipped their heads to the CliffClan leader.

“I’m impressed with how high you’ve managed to climb to find our camp,” Drizzlestar complimented them. 

Lynxheart looked down at his paws, hoping that the leader wouldn’t ask why his coat was wet. It would be embarrassing to explain to Drizzlestar how that had happened. 

“I remember when Runningdeer and his mentor came here for the first time,” said Drizzlestar fondly, although there was a note of sadness to his voice. Looking at Lynxheart, he noted, “You have done well to travel this far, when you’re not a messenger cat.” 

“Thank you,” said Lynxheart shyly.

“Where is Skywind?” Duskpaw looked around for the CliffClan messenger cat. 

At that moment, Skywind emerged from under a large bush, his forepaw wrapped in cobwebs. Upon noticing Duskpaw, he came hobbling over. 

“Sorry I didn’t come to greet you!” the longhaired tom apologized. “I was in the medicine den, having Grousetail look at my paw. I sliced my pad open on a sharp rock.”  
Duskpaw winced. “I hope it heals soon.”

“I do too,” Skywind agreed. “I can’t be a messenger cat if I have a limp, now can I? Fortunately, Grousetail told me that as long as I rest my foot for a while, it should heal.” 

“That’s good,” said Duskpaw. 

“Have you seen LakeClan yet?” Skywind asked.

“We sure have!” Duskpaw exclaimed. “The lake is so gorgeous. Oh and there were some curious kits who wanted to play with us,” he added with a purr. 

“Cute,” said Skywind. “There aren’t any kits here, I’m afraid. Aspendust is expecting some, but they won’t be here for at least another moon.” 

At that moment, rain began to fall from the dark clouds above. Skywind led Lynxheart and Duskpaw under a gorse bush that served as the warrior’s den. There, they talked some more as the rain pattered against the brambles above them. 

“I’ve always loved how our camp seems so close to the sky,” said Skywind. “Sometimes, when the weather is clear, I like to sleep out under the stars. Not many of my Clan mates do, because of the chilly winds that blow through our camp at night, but my thick coat keeps me warm.” 

“My brothers and I used to look at the stars when we were kits,” Duskpaw reminisced. “Sometimes we’d see falling stars, and make wishes on them. It’s silly, I know, but it was fun back then.” 

“Grousetail says that a falling star is a message from StarClan,” said Skywind, blinking his bright blue eyes. “Perhaps they were reaching out to you back then.” 

“I miss my old home,” Duskpaw admitted. “But I am happy I found the Clans.”

It wasn’t long before night fell. Lynxheart and Duskpaw spent the night in CliffClan. The warrior’s den was quite spacious, warm, and cozy. When dawn broke, Skywind, Robinsong, and Drizzlestar saw them off. 

“See you again soon, I hope,” said Skywind. 

“You too,” Duskpaw agreed.

“Be careful on your way home,” said Drizzlestar.

“Don’t fall into any streams,” Robinsong purred. 

Lynxheart sighed, half embarrassed and half amused. “I won’t.”

 

“The other Clans were really friendly,” said Duskpaw as they crossed the border into ForestClan territory. 

Lynxheart nodded. “We have large enough territories that we don’t have to fight over them, so we get along…most of the time, that is,” he added, thinking of Lampreytail and Cragclaw. 

“Legend has it that StarClan originated in a land far away, where there were four Clans who fought constantly,” Lynxheart told Duskpaw. “I’m glad it isn’t like that here, although we do have other threats to worry about.” As in on cue, a wolf howl echoed in the distance. 

“I hope everyone’s been doing okay since we left,” said Duskpaw, picking up the pace. 

Suddenly, the scents of familiar cats came to Lynxheart’s nostrils, and a few moments later, Sunwhisker and Lakefrost appeared. 

“Oh, hey!” Lynxheart greeted them. 

“We were hoping you’d be back in the territory by now,” said Sunwhisker. Something about the usually cheerful warrior’s voice was off.

“What’s wrong?” asked Lynxheart, his heart thudding. 

“It’s Silverpaw,” said Sunwhisker. “He had a terrible fit yesterday, and he’s been unresponsive ever since.”


	17. Chapter 17

Lynxheart was at Duskpaw’s heels as the ginger tom went barreling into the ForestClan camp. 

“Where’s Silverpaw!?” Duskpaw cried to no one in particular. 

“He’s in Hemlocktail’s den,” Cherrypaw came hurrying over to Duskpaw. “We were out training, and all of a sudden, he just collapsed and started screaming. None of us could calm him down. He screamed until his voice gave out.” Cherrypaw shuddered, her green eyes wide and horrified. “We don’t know what was wrong with him. We carried him back to camp, and he’s been lying in the medicine den ever since.” 

Duskpaw made a beeline for Hemlocktail’s den, Lynxheart following. Peering inside, he could see Silverpaw’s pale gray coat glowing in the dim light as he lay curled in a nest. 

“Silverpaw!” Duskpaw stood over his brother, putting a paw on his shoulder and gently shaking him. “Silverpaw, it’s me. I’m back.” 

Silverpaw didn’t move.

“What’s wrong with him!?” Duskpaw exclaimed, whipping his head around to face Hemlocktail, who was sitting in the corner of the den. 

“I have no idea,” said Hemlocktail quietly. “He’s awake, but he won’t respond to anything.” 

Lynxheart quietly came to Duskpaw’s side as he licked at his brother’s pelt. 

“Silverpaw...Sriblo...please, talk to me,” he said in a shaky voice. 

One of Silverpaw’s eyes was slightly open, revealing a sliver of blue. He let out a faint grunt, but still didn’t seem to notice that Duskpaw and Lynxheart were there. 

“Silverpaw,” Duskpaw whispered, resting his chin on his brother’s flank. “It’s okay. I’m here.” 

Lynxheart padded out of the den and let them be alone together. His heart sank—he had never seen Duskpaw look so distressed before. He wished there was something he could do to help Silverpaw. 

“Hey there!” Foxshade came up to Lynxheart, greeting her son by brushing her muzzle against his. “Did you have fun on your trip?”

Lynxheart nodded. “LakeClan and CliffClan’s camps were really amazing to see,” he said. “But I’m worried about Silverpaw.”

“I understand,” said Foxshade gently, gazing past Lynxheart towards the medicine den. “I’m afraid all we can do is pray to StarClan that he’ll recover from whatever is affecting him.” 

Lynxheart suddenly thought back to the dreams he had, about being in total darkness, frozen in fear as he sensed the Dark Ones approaching him. Anxiety clutched at his gut—was he having visions like Silverpaw was? And if so, would they become more vivid? 

“Are you alright?” Foxshade’s concerned voice snapped Lynxheart’s out of his thoughts. 

“Yeah, I’m just tired,” he replied. 

“You should get some rest, then,” said Foxshade. 

Lynxheart nodded, realizing that he really was quite tired, and headed off to the warrior’s den. 

 

“Come on, Cherrypaw, use your hind paws!”

Two sunrises later, the apprentices were training in a clearing near the camp. Lynxheart and Duskpaw were watching Thornpaw and Cherrypaw have a mock battle. Thornpaw had his sister pinned down on her back, and she was struggling beneath him. Upon hearing Lakefrost’s advice, Cherrypaw pummeled at her brother’s stomach with her hind feet until he loosened his grip. She wriggled away, and surprised him by slapping him upside the face with a forepaw. 

“Nice work,” Lakefrost praised her apprentice. 

“Remember to keep your guard up at all times, Thornpaw,” said Acornfall.

“I am. She’s just too fast!” Thornpaw growled, glaring at his sister. 

“Why don’t you join in?” Lynxheart gave Duskpaw a nudge with his head. “Messenger cats have to learn battle training, too.” 

Duskpaw got to his paws and walked over to the other two apprentices. Normally, he’d be enthusiastic to join in, but his eyes were sad and his tail was drooping. Silverpaw still hadn’t snapped out of his trance. 

“Think fast!” Thornpaw leaped at Duskpaw, who suddenly sprang to life and jumped out of the way. Duskpaw turned around and pushed Thornpaw over on his side. Before he could pin the younger tom down, Thornpaw leapt to his paws and slammed Duskpaw under the chin with his head. As Duskpaw staggered backwards, Cherrypaw leapt on him. Together, she and Thornpaw pushed him to the ground. Duskpaw could have easily thrown off the two smaller apprentices, but he passively accepted his defeat. Lynxheart’s heart sank—he wasn’t used to seeing his optimistic friend so depressed. 

Suddenly, the bushes rustled, and Spidershade stepped out. Following behind him was Silverpaw. 

“Silverpaw!” Duskpaw’s eyes lit up as he leaped to his paws and bounded over to his brother. “Are you feeling better!?” 

Silverpaw nodded, touching his nose to Duskpaw’s. “I’m fine now. Sorry for worrying you.” 

However, his voice was flat, and his blue eyes stared blankly ahead. 

“I encouraged Silverpaw to come out and do some training,” said Spidershade.

“Alright, how about we hold some one-on-one mock battles?” Acornfall suggested. “Cherrypaw and Duskpaw, you go first. Whoever is able to pin the other one down first wins.” 

Cherrypaw leapt at Duskpaw, who jumped to the side. With a gentle but firm shove, he knocked his opponent to the ground. Now that Silverpaw had woken up, Duskpaw had his energy back. However, Cherrypaw was quite lively today as well. She rolled away before Duskpaw could pin her down, leaped up, and jumped on the ginger tabby’s back. He bucked Cherrypaw off, but she landed neatly on her paws and darted forward between Duskpaw’s legs, causing him to fall over on his side. Cherrypaw yowled triumphantly as she placed her paws on her limp opponent. However Duskpaw suddenly lurched upwards and pushed his forepaws against her chest, which sent her flying backwards. He jumped up  
and shoved her down in the dirt, purring, “I’ve won!” 

“You put up a pretty good fight,” Cherrypaw complimented Duskpaw as he helped her to her paws. 

“You too,” said Duskpaw. “You fight well, for someone so young!”

“Alright, now Thornpaw and Silverpaw, your turn,” said Acornfall. 

The two of them faced off, Thornpaw flattening his ears intimidatingly. Suddenly, he lashed out, smacking Silverpaw into the shoulder with his forepaw. The pale gray tabby jumped back with a small gasp.

“Oh, come on,” Thornpaw groaned. “You’re going to make this way too easy for me. I hit you with sheathed claws—you need to toughen up!” 

“Come on, Silverpaw,” Spidershade encouraged his apprentice. “Show Thornpaw what I’ve taught you.” 

With a deep breath, Silverpaw lunged forward and swiped at the other apprentice. Thornpaw nipped at his opponent’s foreleg, causing him to yelp.

“I barely put my teeth on you!” Thornpaw snorted. “Stop acting like a kit and fight me for real!” 

Silverpaw let out a hiss, twisting around Thornpaw and grabbing his hind legs, pulling them out from under him and sending him crashing. 

“That’s the way to do it, Silverpaw!” Spidershade praised. 

However, before Silverpaw could pin Thornpaw down, the latter sprang up and wrapped his forelegs around Silverpaw’s neck. He gripped the other tom’s scruff in his teeth, and flung him to the ground on his side. Silverpaw let out an angry growl, thrashing in the dirt as Thornpaw held him still.

“You won, Thornpaw, let him go!” Acornfall ordered. 

Thornpaw stepped back and let Silverpaw get to his paws. Silverpaw lashed his tail and glared at Thornpaw as he shook dust from his coat. 

“Quit giving me that look. I fought fair and square,” Thornpaw retorted. “Did you have a vision that I was going to eat you or something? Is that why you collapsed the other day?” 

“Shut up.” 

Something about Silverpaw’s voice made Lynxheart’s blood turn to ice. 

“What was that!?” Thornpaw spat.

“I said _SHUT UP!_ ” Silverpaw lashed out with his claws, raking Thornpaw across the face. Thornpaw screeched as blood sprayed up from the slash marks. With a savage snarl, he moved forward as if to bite Silverpaw, but Acornfall was there, pulling Thornpaw back by the scruff. Spidershade leaped over and held back Silverpaw as well. 

“How could you attack your own Clan mate!?” Spidershade spat at his apprentice.

Silverpaw’s sides heaved in and out as his nostrils flared. He was still fixing Thornpaw with a cold, blue glare. To Lynxheart’s horror, Thornpaw’s face was bleeding quite badly. 

“Come on, let’s get you to Hemlocktail,” said Acornfall, hurrying Thornpaw away. 

“What in StarClan’s name were you thinking?” Spidershade snarled at Silverpaw.

“He was making fun of me!” Silverpaw hissed.

“Thornpaw is only nine moons old!” Spidershade snapped. “You shouldn’t let him get to you.” 

“I don’t care. I hate him.” The end of Silverpaw’s tail twitched as he narrowed his eyes to furious slits. 

“You can’t be a warrior unless you learn to control your temper,” Spidershade hissed. “If you attack your own Clan mates, you’ll be banished from ForestClan!” 

“Thornpaw’s mentor should make him control _his_ temper!” Silverpaw spat back. A shudder went up Lynxheart’s spine—he hardly recognized the normally shy, quiet tom. 

Silverpaw’s claws were still unsheathed and bloody, and his voice dripped with venom. 

“Silverpaw, please, calm down,” Duskpaw pleaded, pressing up against his brother. 

Silverpaw shoved him away. “Leave me alone,” he growled. 

“We’re going back to camp now,” Spidershade said coldly. “I’m tired of dealing with your attitude, Silverpaw. I’ll have Wolfstar deal with you.” 

 

Lynxheart and Duskpaw watched with unease as Wolfstar stared down Thornpaw and Silverpaw, tapping his black bushy tail disapprovingly. Thornpaw’s face was stained green with the poultice Hemlocktail had applied to his wounds. Lynxheart bit his lip—those slashes looked pretty deep. He wondered if they would scar.

“I am very disappointed in you both,” said Wolfstar calmly but firmly. “Thornpaw, that was cruel of you to mock Silverpaw. But Silverpaw, there was no need to react with violence, especially towards a cat that is younger than you. I understand you are dealing with something serious, but that is no excuse to attack a Clan mate. Both of you will be caring for the elders every day for the next moon. Is that clear?”

“Understood,” Thornpaw sighed, dipping his head to the ForestClan leader. 

For a moment, Silverpaw glared at Wolfstar, lashing his tail slightly. But then, the silver tabby dipped his head, murmuring, “Understood.” 

Duskpaw turned to Lynxheart, his amber eyes round with worry. 

“I’ve never seen Silverpaw lash out like that,” he whispered. “He’s hiding something, I know it. I wish he would talk to me.”

Lynxheart nodded in agreement. He looked up to the sky, silently praying to StarClan that Silverpaw would return to his normal self soon.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Start and stop the music when you see * 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl98PiDeHY4

Lynxheart opened his jaws, detecting the scent trail of a squirrel. He followed it, carefully creeping towards of patch of ferns, where he could hear the prey moving under the thick fronds. Suddenly, Lynxheart saw a flash of silver in the corner of his eye. Looking up, he saw Silverpaw up in a tree, perched silently on a branch. He was still small and slender, but thanks to his training, he was becoming much stronger. His muscles rippled under his silver tabby coat as he stared at a finch that was standing on the end of this branch. The small bird had its back turned to Silverpaw, and hadn’t noticed he was there. Lynxheart held his breath as Silverpaw slowly crept forward. When he got near the end of the branch, it began to jiggle. The finch flew up, startled. Silverpaw leaped up and soared through the air—Lynxheart gasped as the apprentice deftly caught the bird between his paws. Silverpaw went plummeting to the ground, landed neatly on his paws, and ended the finch’s life with a swift bite to the neck. 

“Great job, Silverpaw!” Lynxheart cried, amazed. 

“Thanks,” Silverpaw replied. “I learned that technique from Spidershade.”

“My son sure has done a good job of training you,” Doeflight purred from nearby. Spidershade’s eye had been badly scratched by a thorn that morning, so he’d had to see Hemlocktail instead of joining the hunting patrol. However, Silverpaw seemed to be catching prey just fine without his mentor. 

“That was great, Silverpaw!” Duskpaw came over to congratulate his brother. 

It had been about a moon since Silverpaw had attacked Thornpaw. Although Wolfstar had kept true to his word and been making both apprentices attend to the elders every day, Silverpaw seemed to finally be making progress as an apprentice. He was much stealthier now, and took more risks. Since he and Duskpaw were full grown cats, Lynxheart knew their apprenticeships would be shorter than usual—they would probably earn their warrior names very soon. 

Silverpaw buried his finch to come back and get later, and the hunting patrol continued on.

“Dustycloud’s kits are just a few moons away from being apprentices,” said Doeflight. “If you’re a warrior by then, Silverpaw, maybe Wolfstar will have you mentor one of them.” 

Silverpaw only nodded quietly in response. Lynxheart frowned—the apprentice’s personality had changed as well. Ever since his breakdown, he’d become much more withdrawn and quiet. There was something unnerving about the stony gaze in his blue eyes. Lynxheart swiveled his ears as suddenly, he caught bits of a conversation from the other cats on   
patrol, which were in a group up ahead. 

“I think Duskpaw is a good addition to our Clan, but something about Silverpaw disturbs me,” a dark brown tabby tom named Buckleap murmured to Yellowfox and Patchmoon. “I don’t like that mean look in his eye.”

Patchmoon nodded in agreement. “Doeflight just suggested that Silverpaw mentor one of mine and Dustycloud’s kits,” he whispered. “I don’t want him to. I don’t trust him.”

“Ever since we started letting rogues in our Clan, bad things have happened,” Yellowfox growled under his breath. “I think we need to keep an eye on Silverpaw.” 

Lynxheart’s head drooped, his heart hurting for the silver-furred apprentice. Sure, he was a bit odd, but only because he’d been through so much. He hoped that Silverpaw could prove to all of ForestClan that he was worthy of being a warrior.

*Suddenly, an overwhelming, powerful stench came to Lynxheart’s nostrils, making him gag. 

“What is that smell!?” Duskpaw exclaimed. 

A large, dark shape was moving towards them through the trees. Buckleap saw it first, his fur spiking up as his orange eyes grew wide in terror. Patchmoon and Yellowfox then saw it too, their legs locking up and eyes bulging out of their heads. Lynxheart’s heart stopped. _Oh StarClan, no, please, don’t let it be a Dark One,_ he pleaded silently.

“BEAR!” Patchmoon bellowed. “RUN!” 

Lynxheart’s very brief feeling of relief was replaced with horror as the bear came into view. The massive brown animal was swinging its head from side to side, letting out a deafening roar as it opened its mouth to reveal enormous yellow fangs. Buckleap, Patchmoon, and Yellowfox went flying away from the bear, quickly scrambling up the nearby trees. 

“Everyone, get high up, now!” Doeflight yowled to Lynxheart and the apprentices as she scrambled up the trunk of a beech tree.

Lynxheart forced himself to move, running for the tree that Silverpaw had caught the finch in. Duskpaw was a flash of dark orange as he ran ahead, leaping onto the trunk and scrabbling up the bark. Lynxheart looked around wildly—where was Silverpaw? 

Suddenly, Lynxheart felt huge claws slice him across the haunch, sending him rolling through the grass. He collided with a bush, gritting his teeth in agony as the air grew thick with the reek of his blood. Opening his eyes, he saw the bear lumbering towards him, its beady black eyes glittering with fury as huge globs of drool dripped from its fangs. 

“Get away from him!” Duskpaw was flying through the air, landing on the bear’s head and raking his claws across its muzzle. He distracted the animal long enough for Lynxheart to scramble out of the way. As he watched Duskpaw cling to the bear, clawing and biting, Lynxheart forgot his fear. Ignoring the blazing pain in his haunch, he lunged at the bear, furiously biting into its pelt and pulling out a bloody clump of brown fur. The bear reared back its head and let out a bellowing roar. Shaking its neck, it dislodged Duskpaw, who went falling to the ground, smashing his head on a large stone as he landed. 

“Duskpaw!” Lynxheart yowled, running over to his stunned friend. The bear was advancing quickly on Duskpaw—Lynxheart jumped through the air, past the bear’s wide open jaws, landing on its head and biting down hard on its scruff. The bear twirled around in circles, desperately trying to dislodge Lynxheart. The warrior held on tight to the beast’s-foul smelling pelt, burying his teeth and claws in as far as they would go. Suddenly, the bear flung itself over on its side—Lynxheart jumped away just before it rolled over on its back to crush him. The tom’s heart jolted as something tugged at his hind paw—looking over his shoulder, he saw that one of his hind claws was snagged in the bear’s fur. The mighty animal suddenly rose up on its hind legs, pulling Lynxheart up with it. He yowled, thrashing his limbs as he dangled upside down in the air. Then, he felt his hind claw come loose, and went crashing to the ground. Lynxheart closed his eyes as the bear brought his forepaws down to slam on him—this was the end.

But the impact of the bear’s paws never came. Lynxheart heard a furious screech, followed by snarling from the bear. He opened his eyes and gasped. Silverpaw was on top of the bear’s head, his fangs fastened into its ears. With a violent tug, he came away with a piece of the ear in his teeth. The bear wailed and pawed at its head, but Silverpaw was moving faster than the huge predator could comprehend. He swiftly ripped the bear’s other ear, clawing wildly at its skull and leaving long, red claw marks. Then, he leaped away, landing on a tree branch as the bear shook its head, sending scarlet drops everywhere. A chorus of hisses rang out from behind it—the bear turned to see the other warriors had descended from the trees, and were slowly approaching, their fangs bared and eyes blazing. The bear took off, shaking the ground as it lumbered away and disappeared deeper into the woods.  
* 

“Is everyone alright!?” Doeflight cried. 

“I am!” Lynxheart panted. He hurried over to Duskpaw, who was groaning and attempting to get to his paws. Lynxheart helped his apprentice get up, letting him lean against his shoulder. 

“Silverpaw saved my life,” said Lynxheart, his voice thick with gratefulness as the silver tabby came climbing down from his tree.

“We saw,” said Patchmoon, his yellow eyes wide with amazement. “You three fought like real warriors—while we hung back like cowards.” The black and white tom hung his head in shame. 

“Yeah, way to go, Silverpaw!” Buckleap cheered. 

Silverpaw’s eyes lit up, a faint purr coming from his chest as the warriors praised him. 

“We must get back to camp and have those wounds looked at,” said Doeflight, looking at the bloody slash marks on Lynxheart’s flank. “And we must tell Wolfstar how bravely Duskpaw and Silverpaw have fought!” 

 

Lynxheart lay in the medicine den with fresh poultice and cobwebs applied to his injured thigh. Now Hemlocktail was looking over Duskpaw.

“I’m fine, really,” Duskpaw insisted. “I just have a headache from where I hit that rock.”

“At least let me give you a poppy seed for the pain,” said Hemlocktail. 

As Duskpaw lapped up the seed, Wolfstar’s voice boomed from outside. 

“All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around the Leader’s Oak for a Clan meeting!” 

Duskpaw exchanged an excited glance with Lynxheart. Both of them had a good feeling what was about to happen. They went out and joined their Clan mates as Wolfstar came down from his tree. 

“Duskpaw and Silverpaw showed the courage of warriors today,” Wolfstar rumbled. “They were not Clan born, but they have proven that they certainly have a place in our Clan. I will now call upon StarClan to make them warriors.” 

Duskpaw practically flew to the front of the crowd, trembling like a kit from excitement. Silverpaw came up next to him, sitting more calmly, but his blue eyes were shining with anticipation.

“Duskpaw,” said Wolfstar, looking down at the dark ginger tabby. “You have led an extraordinary life, and overcome many obstacles to become ForestClan’s new messenger cat. Do you promise to help uphold peace between the Clans, and protect your own Clan, even at the cost of your life?” 

“I do,” said Duskpaw. 

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your new name. From now on, you will be known as Dusklight. StarClan honors your compassion and charisma, and we welcome you as the official new messenger cat of ForestClan.” 

Wolfstar lightly rested his chin on Dusklight’s head, motioning for him to lick his shoulder as part of the ritual. Dusklight stepped back, his face overjoyed as the Clan chanted his new name.

“Dusklight! Dusklight!” Lynxheart yowled it the loudest of all.

“And now, for Silverpaw.” Wolfstar turned to the other apprentice. “You too have come a long way to become the fearless cat you are now. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect ForestClan, even at the cost of your life?” 

“I do,” Silverpaw replied. 

“Then, from this moment on, you will be known as Silversnake,” said Wolfstar, touching his chin to the newly named cat’s head. “StarClan honors your cleverness and stealth, and we welcome you as a full member of ForestClan.”

“Silversnake! Silversnake!” the Clan cheered. 

“Thank you, Wolfstar,” said Dusklight thickly. “We are very happy to be part of ForestClan.” 

Lynxheart’s heart soared—the journey to the Dead Place and facing the Dark Ones had been worth it all along. At that moment, he couldn’t be happier for the two young toms.


	19. Chapter 19

Lynxheart watched the red and orange leaves of leaf-fall swirl around in a breeze that blew through the camp. A few moons had passed since Dusklight and Silversnake had become warriors. Dusklight was out on a trip to CliffClan, as Hemlocktail wanted to see if their medicine cat, Grousetail, had some herbs that grew best at higher elevations. Leaf-bare would arrive soon, and Hemlocktail wanted to be fully stocked up on medicines before then. 

Lynxheart had slept until early afternoon, so he figured he should go ask Foxshade to be put on the next patrol. Lynxheart walked past the nursery, where Dustycloud’s kits were wrestling. They had grown quite large, and would be apprenticed very soon. Currently, the apprentice’s den was empty, as a few sunrises ago, Cherrypaw and Thornpaw had earned their warrior names, Cherryleaf and Thornfire. Lynxheart spotted them sitting in a corner of the camp, talking with Lakefrost. There were still long, thin claw marks across Thornfire’s face from where Silversnake had attacked him, and unfortunately, it seemed they had become permanent scars. Lynxheart frowned—he didn’t see Silversnake anywhere in the camp. He hoped he’d gone out on patrol; the silver tabby had been wandering off on his own a lot lately, which worried Dusklight. Lynxheart had promised the messenger cat that he’d keep an eye on his brother for him while he was gone. 

“Lynxheart!” Cherryleaf suddenly called out to him. “Come over here!” 

Curiously, Lynxheart padded over. “What is it?” he asked. 

“Tell him the good news, Lakefrost!” Cherryleaf’s green eyes were bright with excitement. 

“I’m expecting Sunwhisker’s kits,” said Lakefrost.

Lynxheart gasped, suddenly overcome with happiness. “Oh, Lakefrost, that’s great!” he exclaimed. “Have you told Sunwhisker?”

“Of course! He was the first cat I told,” Lakefost purred. “He’s so excited!” 

Lynxheart couldn’t think of a cat that deserved to have kits more than his former mentor. He was so patient and kind—these kits would be very lucky to have him as their father. Speaking of Sunwhisker, the yellow tabby was returning back from patrol just now. Lynxheart scanned the crowd of cats that followed him in—Silversnake was not among them. 

“Hey Sunwhisker,” Lynxheart greeted as he walked over to his Clan mate. “Whoa, that’s a nice pigeon you’ve caught!”

“Thanks,” said the older warrior, laying the plump bird on the fresh kill pile.

“You haven’t seen Silversnake, have you?” Lynxheart asked. 

“I haven’t, why?” Sunwhisker replied. 

“Dusklight wanted me to keep an eye on him, since he’s been wandering off a lot lately,” said Lynxheart with a sigh. 

“Well, he’s a warrior now, he’s allowed to leave the camp whenever he pleases,” said Sunwhisker with a shrug. 

“Yeah, it just worries me that he’s been going off on his own so much with no explanation,” Lynxheart told his former mentor. 

“It’s good of you to show concern, but I think he’ll be alright. He’s pretty tough—you saw what he did to that bear,” Sunwhisker purred. 

“I hope you’re right,” said Lynxheart. “Oh by the way, congratulations on becoming a father.”

Sunwhisker’s amber eyes widened. “Thank you…wow, has Lakefrost already told everyone?” 

“She has,” Lynxheart purred. 

“To be honest, I’m a bit nervous about the kits coming,” Sunwhisker admitted sheepishly. 

“You’ll be a great father,” Lynxheart told him. 

At that moment, Foxshade came over.

“I’m organizing the next patrol—Lynxheart, I want you to join it. Grab something to eat, and then head out,” she said. 

Lynxheart went over to the fresh-kill pile and selected a robin. Spidershade and Martenwhisker were sharing a crow nearby. 

“Hey, Spidershade, have you seen Silversnake?” he asked. 

“No,” the slender black tom replied. 

“Do you have any idea where he might be?” Lyxnheart pressed.

Spidershade narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed. “I’m not his mentor anymore, so I’m no longer required to follow him everywhere.”

“Right…sorry,” Lynxheart mumbled. 

Martenwhisker gave his brother a glare, and then said to Lynxheart in a kinder voice, “Do you need Silversnake for something?” 

“No, it’s just…he’s been going off on his own a lot lately for some reason,” said Lynxheart. 

Spidershade shrugged. “That’s his business.”

Lynxheart frowned…didn’t Spidershade care about his former apprentice? 

After they finished eating, Spidershade and Martenwhisker went out with Lynxheart on the patrol, along with Grayspots, Cherryleaf, and Thornfire. 

“I love being able to leave the camp whenever I want now,” said Thornfire, sharpening his claws on the bark of a tree. 

“It is a liberating feeling,” Martenwhisker admitted. “Although Suntail was a good mentor to me.” 

“Acornfall was bossy and strict,” said Thornfire, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, come on, my father isn’t that bad,” Grayspots purred. “You think everyone is strict, Thornfire.”

“I do not!” The ginger tabby tom’s fur spiked indignantly. 

“Ha, you don’t know strict,” Spidershade snorted. “When I was an apprentice, Yellowfox would wake me up at the crack of dawn every day for training. And If I mouthed off to him at all, he’d send me straight to the elder’s den to pick ticks off of them.” 

“Which I bet was often,” said Grayspots. 

“Alright, let’s not argue like kits,” said Martenwhisker as Spidershade let out a growl. 

“When I was a kit, I remember seeing you and Starlingwind getting caught putting red ants in Branchclaw’s nest,” Cherryleaf purred to Grayspots. “Wolfstar had your warrior’s ceremony delayed for a whole moon for that!”

“Do you have to bring that up?” Grayspots flattened his ears in embarrassment. 

“Oh yeah, I remember that,” said Lynxheart. “Branchclaw called you a useless furball because you didn’t see a large tick down by his tail, so when he went to go make dirt, you and Starlingwind plotted your revenge.” 

“Yeah, I know, we were stupid back then,” Grayspots hissed. 

“I’m surprised Branchclaw didn’t send you two down the tunnel,” said Thornfire. “Even I wouldn’t want to mess with that mean old fleabag!” 

As his Clan mates joked around, Lynxheart swiveled his ears as a familiar scent came to him on the breeze. Silversnake was somewhere nearby. 

“I have to go make dirt, I’ll be right back,” said Lynxheart, following the direction of the breeze. 

“Have fun!” Grayspots called to him. 

“Ha, shut up,” Lynxheart snorted. 

He walked around a boulder, and headed over to a gnarled old tree. In between the branches, he could see the sheen of Silversnake’s pelt. Cautiously, he approached the trunk, and softly called up to his Clan mate. Silversnake was staring off into the distance, either not having heard Lynxheart or ignoring him. 

“Silversnake?” Lynxheart repeated more loudly. 

Silversnake swiveled his head around, looking down at Lynxheart with narrowed eyes.

“Are you, uh, alright?” Lynxheart asked. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Silversnake growled irritably. “I know Dusklight is making you follow me around. Tell him when he gets back that I’m not a kit.” 

“Oh…okay, sorry,” Lynxheart stammered. “He’s just been worried about you lately.”

Silversnake snorted. “There’s nothing wrong with me.” He turned his head around, and continued to stare off into the distance. 

That’s obviously not true, Lynxheart thought, biting his lip. But he couldn’t help Silversnake if he didn’t want to accept help. With his head and tail sagging, Lynxheart went to join the patrol again. 

“Why are you looking so glum?” Grayspots asked as he returned. “Was it a difficult dirt making session?” 

“I’m fine,” Lynxheart lied. 

“Oh, sure,” Grayspots snorted. “I know you’re hiding something. It’s not good for you to hold it in.” 

Lyxnheart sighed. “I saw Silversnake. He’s sitting up in the tree over there and staring off into space. I’m worried about him.” 

“Ugh, that’s creepy,” said Thornfire with a shudder. “He might have been watching you take a dump.” 

“This is nothing to joke about!” Lynxheart exclaimed, pinning down his ears. 

“I'm serious. Silversnake is crazy,” Thornfire growled. “I mean, look what he did to my face.”

“Well, to be fair, you did make fun of him,” Grayspots pointed out. 

“To be honest, I’m sort of relieved I don’t have to mentor him anymore,” said Spidershade. “I don’t hate him, but he’s…difficult.” 

Lynxheart stared at him in horror. How could he say such a thing about the cat that had been his apprentice?

“He’s been through a lot,” said Grayspots with a slight growl. Lynxheart was glad that at least one cat was taking his side. 

“The Dark Ones talked to him as a kit—it’s messed him up,” Lynxheart told the group. “We just need to give him time to recover.” 

“Yeah, well I’m starting to think this “Dark One” stuff isn’t real,” said Thornfire dryly. “I mean, really? Monsters with glowing eyes and fangs? Runningdeer was probably killed by a wolf.” 

“I saw them!” Lynxheart spat, resisting the urge to sink his claws into the mouthy young warrior’s tabby pelt. 

“I saw them too,” said Grayspots, his green eyes hardening. “They are very real, and terrifying.” 

“Well, whatever happened in his past, Silversnake is still insane!” Thornfire snapped. “Wolfstar was mouse-brained to let him become a warrior.”

“Then I will no longer be a part of ForestClan.” 

Everyone jumped. Perched on top of the nearby boulder was Silversnake, slowly lashing his tail as he fixed them all with a piercing blue gaze.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Start chapter with this music: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shtx_MrlhNg
> 
> At * change it to this:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liqB7bf6VCs

“Silversnake…” Lynxheart gasped. “How much did you hear?”

“I heard enough,” Silversnake hissed. “Since everyone thinks I’m a freak, I’m leaving ForestClan, now.”

“W—wait, Silversnake,” Spidershade stuttered. “I didn’t mean it…”

“Yes you did.” Silversnake spoke through gritted teeth. “You’re getting what you want, which is me out of your fur. Goodbye.” 

The silver tabby tom leaped down behind the boulder.

“Silversnake, come back!” Lynxheart cried. He ran around the boulder, racing after the other tom. Silversnake was already far ahead, streaking across the ground. He jumped into a thicket and disappeared. 

_Fox dung!_ Lynxheart raced for the thicket and dived in, wincing as thorns scraped at his sides. He wriggled through the brambles, eventually reaching the other end. Looking around, he didn’t see Silvernake anywhere. 

“Silversnake, please, don’t go!” Lynxheart yowled. 

Suddenly, he saw a flash of silver in the corner of his eye, and felt a sharp blow to his head. Black dots danced in the corners of Lynxheart’s vision as he fell over, quickly gathering together into total darkness. 

 

“Lynxheart!” 

Someone was shaking him. Lynxheart groaned, his head throbbing with pain as he opened his eyes. Grayspots was standing above him, his green eyes round with worry.  
“Lynxheart, what happened?” he asked. 

“I…I think Silversnake knocked me out.” Lynxheart gritted his teeth against the fierce headache, pushing himself to a stand. He noticed Cherryleaf and Thornfire standing beside Grayspots, and asked them what was going on.

“Spidershade and Martenwhisker went ahead to look for Silversnake while we stayed with you,” said Cherryfall, her eyes round. “You were out for several moments. We’d better go back to camp and have Hemlocktail make sure you’re okay.”

Lynxheart shook his head. “No, we have to keep searching for Silversnake.” 

“Spidershade and Martenwhisker can find him,” Grayspots coaxed. “Come on. Let’s get you to Hemlocktail.” 

“No!” Lynxheart defiantly lashed his tail. “I promised Dusklight I would look after Silversnake while he’s gone. I can’t let him down.”

“Yeah…and it’s my fault Silversnake left,” said Thornfire, his voice unusually quiet. “I don’t like him, but…I’ve never had a problem with Dusklight. We’d better find Silversnake, for his sake.” 

Grayspots sighed. “Alright, then, let’s split up. Lynxheart, you come with me, and you two search somewhere else. Be careful, and if you find Silversnake, don’t fight him. Just try to talk to him and calm him down.” 

Lynxheart and Grayspots headed towards the ancient bridge, while Cherryleaf and Thornfire headed elsewhere. Lynxheart drank in the air, picking up Silversnake’s scent here and there. It seemed he was still moving quickly through the forest. Upon reaching the bridge, they found that his scent trail led into the gulch beneath. 

“Oh no, please don’t tell me he fell down there,” Lynxheart gasped, peering through the ferns that fringed the edge of the narrow, deep ditch. 

Grayspots craned his neck downward and drank in the cool, misty air. “No, there’s a straight scent line going down the side. He must have climbed down.” 

Lynxheart’s eyes widened. “I’ve never been down there before…I wasn’t sure a cat could safely get to the bottom!” 

“Well, only one way to find out.” Grayspots carefully stepped between the ferns, reaching out and touching a stone ledge with his paws. “Huh, it’s dark, but it doesn’t seem too steep,” he said. 

Lynxheart cautiously followed his friend into the gulch. To his relief, the sides were covered in bulgy rocks and ledges, perfect for climbing down. As they made their way down, they could hear the gurgle of the river below them, growing steadily louder. Lynxheart’s eyes adjusted to the light, making out narrow sandy banks that bordered the rushing water. He blinked through the fog that gathered as they neared the bottom, and jumped down to the sand below. Through the swirling mist, Lynxheart could see that the gulch stretched on for quite a while. Flattening his ears against the roar of the river, he stretched his muzzle to the ground and picked up the scent of Silversnake, which was still fresh. He flicked his tail, gesturing for Grayspots to follow him. They followed the scent trail until the mist began to thin out, giving way to the light at the end of the long gulch. The river grew much wider up ahead, seemingly to stretch infinitely towards the horizon. Up ahead, dark clouds were beginning to gather. Static pricked at Lynxheart’s fur as he sensed a storm was about to unfold. 

“Fox dung,” Grayspots growled. “It’s going to rain. We won’t be able to track his scent anymore.”

“The bridge up above the gulch will provide us with some shelter,” said Lynxheart. “We should wait there, and then continue on.”

Grayspots sighed. “Lynxheart, I think it’s useless at this point.”

“No!” Lynxheart snapped. “We have to find Silversnake. I won’t let Dusklight down.” 

Reluctantly, Grayspots waited with Lynxheart for the storm to stop. The long bridge up above shielded them from the rain, although they could still hear the booming of thunder mingled with the rushing river. Up above, the narrow spaces between the bridge and sides of the gulch flashed white with lightning. Lynxheart prayed to StarClan that the storm would slow Silversnake down. After what seemed like forever, the thunder and lightning finally stopped. Lynxheart and Grayspots went back outside to see that it was still raining, but it had died down to a drizzle. They continued on ahead, walking through the thick, dew-laden grass of the riverbank. Usually, Lynxheart enjoyed the feel of cool grass on his paws after it rained, and the sweet smell it gave off. But his pelt prickled with unease, the river seeming to hiss ominously as he and Grayspots continued on. They had never been in this part of the forest before, but they could see the trees thinning out, giving away to more open land. Lynxheart picked up the pace, hoping that it would be easier to find Silversnake now. He raised his muzzle to the sky, yowling for his Clan mate. 

“Silversnake, please come back!” 

They found themselves in a wide field of short, stubby grass, dotted with muddy puddles. Lynxheart and Grayspots trudged through the soggy land, scenting the air for any trace of Silversnake. Eventually, Grayspots spoke.

“Lynxheart, I think it’s time to give up the search. It’s impossible to track any scent with all this water around.” 

“But there aren’t any hiding places around here—we could see him at any moment!” Lynxheart argued.

Grayspots gave Lynxheart a grim look. “We can see for a long way, and there’s no sign of him. Dusklight will probably be getting back to ForestClan soon, and we need to tell him what’s happened.” 

Lynxheart opened his mouth to protest, but fell silent as he realized Grayspots was right. His heart sank deep into his chest as he looked down at his paws, which were just visible beneath the surface of a brown, murky puddle.

_Oh, what am I going to say to Dusklight?_

*

When they returned to the camp, they saw that the others from their patrol had already made it back. Martenwhisker hung his head as he saw the sad looks in Lynxheart and Grayspots’ eyes. 

“We came back when the rain fell,” said the pale brown tom softly. “We couldn’t get a good scent of him, anyways.”

“We tracked the trail to down in the gulch…it turns out it’s easy to climb down the sides,” said Grayspots, sitting down to lick at his mud covered legs. “But then the rain broke out, and it washed away his scent.” 

“Spidershade feels terrible about this,” said Martenwhisker. “He wants to lead another patrol soon to find Silversnake.”

“I don’t know if that will work…he’s gone past ForestClan territory and he doesn’t want to be found.” Lynxheart sighed, slouching down to the ground as a mixture of fatigue and growing hopelessness overcame him. “Has Dusklight returned yet?” he asked quietly.

“Not yet,” said Martenwhisker. Sensing the fear in his Clan mate’s voice, he added, “Dusklight will be upset, but not with you, Lynxheart. He’ll understand that you tried your best to find Silversnake.” 

“If only I hadn’t gone to talk to him and attracted his attention…he may not have heard what Spidershade and Thornfire were saying about him,” Lynxheart murmured.  
At that moment, his heart jolted as a familiar scent flooded his jaws. Turning his head, he saw Dusklight squeezing through the bracken wall that lined the camp. His eyes lit up at she saw Lynxheart. The dark ginger tabby came bounding towards his friend, oblivious to the somber mood he was in. Lynxheart quickly tried to appear happy to see Dusklight, meowing in greeting. 

“How was your trip to CliffClan?” he asked. 

“It went fine,” Dusklight purred. He put down a wad of herbs he’d been carrying in his jaws. “Grousetail had the herbs that Hemlocktail wanted, thank StarClan. I also got to see Aspendust’s kits—they’re so cute!”

Dusklight’s cheerful look faded as he noticed Lynxheart’s mud splattered coat and grim look. “What’s wrong? Why are you so dirty?” 

Lynxheart sighed heavily. “Dusklight…something has happened,” he said, unable to keep his voice from trembling. 

Slowly, Lynxheart told him about Silversnake. As he talked, Dusklight slowly sank down on his haunches, his eyes wide and body trembling.

“I’m so sorry,” said Lynxheart in almost a whisper. “We would still be out looking for him if the rain hadn’t washed his scent away.” 

“Well…we just have to keep looking then,” said Dusklight. Suddenly, he got up, and began to head for the camp entrance. 

“Whoa…wait, Dusklight!” Lynxheart cried. “It’ll be dark soon!” 

“I have to find my brother,” said Dusklight curtly. 

Lynxheart sighed, getting to his paws. His legs ached from walking so far earlier, but he knew he had to help Dusklight. 

“Wait, I’m coming too,” said Tulipwhisker, hurrying over. “You two shouldn’t be by yourselves at night.” 

“I guess I’ll come too,” Grayspots groaned as he got to his feet. “Starlingwind, are you in?” he called to his littermate. 

As twilight fell, they headed back to the bridge, where they climbed back down into the gulch. It was quite dark down there now, illuminated only slightly by the dying sunlight. Eventually, they found their way to the end, where the open space glowed eerily with the redness of dusk. They followed the river to the marshy open ground, trying to pick up any trace of Silversnake’s scent. The search went on until the moon was high in the sky. Exhausted, cold, and covered in mud, Lynxheart sat down, unwilling to walk any further. 

“I’m so sorry, Dusklight,” he said, gently pressing his muzzle to his friend’s. “I don’t think he wants to be found.” 

Dusklight returned the gesture, but his eyes stared blankly ahead. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I should have let my brother know how much he means to me. Then maybe he wouldn’t have run away.”


	21. Chapter 21

Several sunrises later, Silversnake was still nowhere to be found. Wolfstar sent several patrols out beyond the borders, but there was no sign of him. Dusklight didn’t blame anyone out loud for his brother running away, but sometimes, Lynxheart could see his eyes hardening whenever Spidershade or Thornfire were nearby. Thornfire had little to say about it, but Spidershade often lead the patrols to find Silversnake, as if he felt it was his duty to find and bring his former apprentice back to ForestClan. 

“The next Gathering isn’t too far away,” Lynxheart told Dusklight as they were out hunting by themselves one day. “Silversnake seemed to be heading towards LakeClan’s territory. We can ask them if they’ve seen him.” 

Dusklight nodded, his head turned away from Lynxheart as he stalked a sparrow. Lynxheart had talked him into going hunting with him, hoping it would provide a distraction. However, as Dusklight pounced towards the sparrow and landed a tail-length away from it, it was obvious that he still had his brother on his mind. Lynxheart spied a mouse underneath a nearby bush, and crept quietly towards it. However, he failed to notice a twig in his path, which snapped in half under his hind foot. Lynxheart gave a frustrated hiss as the startled mouse scurried down a hole. 

“Maybe we should just go back to camp,” Dusklight sighed. “I just don’t have hunting skills in me today.”

“We should try to catch something,” said Lynxheart. “Prey is becoming scarcer now that it’s leaf-fall.”

They managed to hunt down a shrew and a small robin. With the meager fresh-kill in their jaws, they returned to the camp. Dusklight walked while staring down at the ground, his head and tail sagging. Lynxheart sighed. He hated seeing his friend like this—he missed the old, optimistic, energetic Dusklight. If Silversnake never returned, then would he ever be the same again? 

However, in the camp, the mood was much more upbeat. Everyone was heading towards the Leader’s Oak, excitedly talking amongst each other. Dustycloud and Patchmoon were holding their tails high, their four kits bouncing after them. 

“Oh! I think the kits are about to become apprentices!” Lynxheart exclaimed. “Come on, Dusklight, let’s go watch the ceremony.” 

Hoping it would cheer Dusklight up, Lynxheart led him over to the crowd after they’d deposited their prey on the fresh-kill pile. The kits sat at the front of the crowd with their parents, their eyes shining as Wolfstar began to speak from up on his branch. 

“My daughter and her mate have raised four fine kits,” said the leader, looking fondly towards Dustycloud. “They have reached their sixth moon, and are ready to become apprentices.” 

Wolfstar cleared his throat, and then called out, “Grayspots!”

Lynxheart gasped with pleasant surprise. His good friend was about to be a mentor! Grayspots purred happily as he padded to the front of the crowd.

“You will be mentor to Sprucepaw,” said Wolfstar. “You are kind and level-headed, but courageous. Please pass these qualities on to your new apprentice.”

Grayspots touched noses with the young tom. Sprucepaw’s yellow eyes glowed, his patched dark brown and black coat rippling as he purred loudly. 

“Starlingwind!” Wolfstar called next. 

“Oh, he’s getting an apprentice too!?” Lynxheart gasped under his breath. 

“You will be mentor to Walnutpaw,” Wolfstar said to Starlingwind as he approached. “You are clever, and know how to stay cheerful and good-humored in tense situations. Please pass these qualities on to your new apprentice.” 

Starlingwind touched noses with Walnutpaw. The small pale brown tom nearly fell over from vibrating with excitement. 

Wolfstar summoned Martenwhisker next. 

“My son, you have not had an apprentice yet,” he said. “You are a noble, patient, kind warrior, and I would like for you to pass these qualities along to Beechpaw.”

Martenwhisker touched noses with the smallest apprentice, a pretty white she-cat with pale brown patches. She blinked shyly at her new mentor. 

“And last but not least, Tulipwhisker!”

Lynxheart felt a thrill of excitement surge through him as he watched his sister make his way to the front of the crowd. 

“You will be mentor to Firpaw,” Wolfstar told Tulipwhisker. “You are fearless and determined. Please pass these qualities along to this young she-cat.” 

Tulipwhisker’s gaze remained calm, but the tip of her tail twitched excitedly as she touched noses with Firpaw. The fluffy dark tortoiseshell she-cat was trying her best to look successful, but her quivering paws gave away her ecstatic mood. 

“Sprucepaw! Walnutpaw! Beechpaw! Firpaw!” the Clan chanted their apprentices’ new names. 

“Can we go see the territory now!?” Sprucepaw cried, bouncing up and down. “Please, can we?” 

“Sure,” Grayspots purred. 

“Firpaw, stay close to me!” Tulipwhisker called to her apprentice as she darted ahead, racing her siblings to the camp entrance. 

As he watched the apprentices go out with their mentors, Lynxheart remembered his first day out of the camp. The forest had seemed so vast and endless to him back then—it had been hard for him to believe that anything else was beyond it. He looked over to Dusklight and saw that he was still sadly looking down at his paws. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Lynxheart asked, comfortingly stroking his friend's side with his tail. 

“I’m just so worried about Silversnake,” Dusklight murmured. “The Dark Ones seem to still be talking to him…what if they lure him back to the Dead Place?” 

“Silversnake is a lot stronger than he used to be,” Lynxheart reminded him. “He’s become fearless and independent. Perhaps he can resist the call of the Dark Ones now.”

“I hope,” Dusklight said with a heavy sigh. After a long pause, he said, “I want to go back to the Dead Place. I just have a feeling that he’s there.” 

“What!?” Lynxheart exclaimed. Quickly lowering his voice as to not attract attention, he said, “I’m not sure if we can go back, Dusklight. The Dark Ones could have become more active since we left. We could be killed the moment we walk into the Dead Place.” 

Dusklight narrowed his eyes. “Losing Aleks was bad enough,” he said with a slight hiss. “I can't lose Silversnake, too.” 

“Right…” Lynxheart hung his head apologetically. He imagined that it was Tulipwhisker that had run away, and could be in that horrible place right now...he didn't like the cold, empty feeling that sucked at his gut. 

“Well, if you’re going to go to the Dead Place, then I’m coming too,” said Lynxheart. He pushed away the memories of the pitch darkness of the reactor, those horrible red eyes, and the mangled voices….he had to be brave, for Dusklight. 

“I guess we should go talk to Wolfstar about this.” Lynxheart gestured with his tail for Dusklight to follow him over to the Leader’s Oak.

 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you two go there right now,” said Wolfstar. 

“Please, you have to!” Dusklight cried. “My brother could be in serious danger!” 

“I understand you’re worried about Silversnake.” Wolfstar’s yellow eyes shone with sympathy. “But you are our messenger cat, Dusklight. What if we need someone to deliver a message to the other Clans, and you aren’t here?” 

“I could go for him,” Lynxheart volunteered. “I know the way to the other Clans’ camps.” 

Wolfstar shook his head. “The last time you went to the Dead Place, you nearly got killed. I only sent you there because StarClan insisted that you go. I will not risk losing any of my warriors.” 

“StarClan will look out for us, just like they did last time!” Lynxheart hissed, anger rising through his pelt as he dug his claws into the branch he was sitting on. He glared at his leader, who was sitting in the ancient owl’s hollow that served as his den. 

“Even with StarClan looking out for you, you were still lucky to escape with your lives.” Wolfstar’s voice hardened. “The Dead Place is no place for cats, or any other living thing.” 

“That’s why we have to get Silversnake out of there!” Dusklight protested. 

“We don’t even know if Silversnake is there,” Wolfstar growled firmly. “For all we know, he could have found another part of the forest to live in.” 

The longhaired black tom then dipped his head. “I’m sorry that he has vanished,” he said, his voice softening. “I know how much your brother means to you, Dusklight. I promise that I will continue to send out patrols to search for him. Perhaps, in time, he will return. Until then, I need both of you to stay here and help take care of the Clan.” 

“I understand, Wolfstar.” Dusklight dipped his head in return. The dark ginger tabby turned and climbed down the trunk of the tree, with Lynxheart following. His fur was still bristled—he could understand Wolfstar’s reasoning, but still, didn’t he know that he and Dusklight could take care of themselves? Lynxheart gritted his teeth in self-hatred. He’d failed to prevent Silversnake from leaving, and now he could be lost forever. What kind of warrior was he if he couldn’t protect his Clan mates?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Start with this music:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNNcQ7R7NJw
> 
> When you see * change it to this: 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXjDMERR08c&

A chilly breeze ruffled Lynxheart’s pelt. He fluffed out his golden tabby and white fur. Even though the sun was shining brightly today, leaf-bare was approaching quickly, turning the ground white with frost. About two moons had passed since Silversnake had run away. The patrols kept their eyes and ears open for him, and Dusklight sometimes went off into the woods at night to search for his brother, but was never successful. 

A thin mewling came from the nursery—Lakefrost had given birth to two healthy kits. Brightkit was a yellow tabby she-cat with amber eyes like her father, and Stonekit was a gray tabby tom with blue eyes like his mother. They were both quite adorable. Sunwhisker spent almost all of his time in the nursery with his kits, and had to be gently reminded of his warrior duties. Suddenly, Brightkit came bouncing out of the nursery. At only half a moon old, she already had quite a lot of energy. 

“Hey, get back here!” Lynxheart chuckled as Lakefrost pulled her back inside by the scruff. He wondered when they were six moons old, if Wolfstar would let him mentor one of them, as he hadn’t gotten to experience mentoring a cat younger than him yet, and was curious as to what it was like. 

All the mentors were rounding up their apprentices for a morning patrol. Another one had already gone out to search for prey, but with leaf-bare approaching, prey was getting scarce, and they had to double up on patrols. 

“Firpaw, what did I tell you about staying with the group?” said Tulipwhisker sternly as the dark tortoiseshell she-cat bounced towards the camp entrance. 

“Wait, where’s Beechpaw?” Sprucepaw looked around for his sister. 

“She went out on another patrol early this morning with Martenwhisker, Spidershade, and Doeflight.” Everyone turned their heads to see Wolfstar approaching. 

“Oh, I see,” said Sprucepaw quietly. Everyone knew what they were doing—Spidershade was still feeling guilty for driving Silversnake away. He led the occasional patrol to see if they could pick up his scent. 

“Lynxheart, why don’t you go out with this patrol?” Wolfstar suggested. “Bring Dusklight, too.” 

“Alright then,” said Lynxheart. He’d been hoping to stay in the camp today and take shelter from the cold, but he was happy for an opportunity to be with his sister and friends, who had been busy training their apprentices. He turned into the warrior’s den and prodded Dusklight, who was asleep. The messenger cat followed him wearily out of the den, yawning and blinking his tired eyes. 

“This is an awfully large patrol,” Dusklight noted. “Isn’t there another one out right now?” 

“The prey will all be hiding deep underground before we know it,” said Wolfstar. “The more cats we have hunting, the better fed we’ll be.” 

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” said Dusklight with a shrug. 

“I’d like you all to go to where the wide stream is,” said Wolfstar.

“That’s quite a long way to walk,” said Starlingwind with a frown. “It’s near the northern border.”

“Yes, but it’s a prey-rich place,” said Wolfstar. 

“It’ll be an adventure!” Sprucepaw exclaimed. 

“Take care, all of you,” said Wolfstar, dipping his head to the patrol as they headed towards the entrance. 

“Have fun!” Foxshade called out from nearby.

Lynxheart nodded to his mother, and bounded alongside Grayspots, moving quickly to keep warm. 

“I never knew the forest could be so cold!” Sprucepaw exclaimed, fluffing up his brown and black fur. 

“Just wait until the snow falls,” Grayspots purred. “It gets so cold then, that water freezes solid!” 

“No way, you’re making that up!” said Sprucepaw. 

Grayspots shook his head. “I’m not. When water gets hard, we call it ice.” 

“Wow!” Sprucepaw gasped. 

“Hey, you two, cut it out!” Tulipwhisker snapped as Walnutpaw and Firpaw began wrestling. Walnutpaw let out a surprised squeak as they tumbled into a small ditch. 

“We don’t play fight when we are on patrol!” Tulipwhisker scolded, leaning down into the ditch to help the apprentices out. 

“Let them have some fun. They’re only eight moons old,” said Starlingwind with a purr. 

“You should keep a better eye on Walnutpaw, or he could get hurt!” Tulipwhisker shot him a glare. 

Starlingwind rolled his eyes. “Don’t you remember how much mischief we got into as apprentices? We turned out fine. If I recall, you pushed Lynxheart into a thorny bush on our first day out, and he got so stuck that it took the whole patrol to pull him out!” 

“You obnoxious furball!” Tulipwhisker hissed, swiping at Starlingwind’s ear. 

“Ooh, fight!” Walnutpaw encouraged them. 

“That’s enough,” said Lynxheart, stepping between Tulipwhisker and Starlingwind and giving them each a glare. “Now you’re behaving like apprentices.” 

“Are they going to have to pull ticks off the elders as punishment?” said Sprucepaw.. 

“Nah, they can pull ticks off of me,” said Lynxheart, scratching at the fur behind his ear. “I think I’ve got a big fat one right here.”

“No you don’t fuzz-brain!” Tulipwhisker shoved her brother, half annoyed, half amused. 

The patrol took the apprentices towards a part of the forest they hadn’t seen much of yet, since it was a long walk. Fluffing up their pelts against the cold, they eventually made it to where a gurgling creek was hidden behind a wall of bracken and thin trees. Mice and voles could often be found hiding in the thick growth. There, they came across the other hunting patrol, which consisted of Eagledawn, Cherryleaf, Thornfire, Patchmoon, and Sunwhisker. 

“Hey, Sunwhisker! I thought you were staying inside the nursery permanently,” Grayspots teased. 

“Just wait until you have kits,” said Eagledawn, flicking her tail. “Parents are always very protective of their newborns, especially if it’s their first litter.”

Sunwhisker nodded. “They’re growing so big already,” he said, his eyes shining with pride. 

“Where’s Beechpaw?” Patchmoon asked his kits. 

“She went with Martenwhisker, Spidershade, and Doeflight to go and search for Silversnake,” said Sprucepaw. 

Firpaw snorted. “What a waste of time. He’s long gone by now.” 

Tulipwhisker hissed at her apprentice, signaling to watch what she was saying, as Dusklight was right there. 

“Well, we’ve already got quite a lot of cats on this patrol,” Lynxwhisker quickly changed the subject. “Martenwhisker and Beechpaw didn’t have to come with us.” 

“Yes, it seems that Wolfstar is anxious about us having enough prey for leaf-bare,” Patchmoon noted. “He wanted Dustycloud to join our patrol, but she hurt her foot yesterday,  
and Hemlocktail said she needed to rest.” 

“Speaking of Hemlocktail, I smell him!” Walnutpaw exclaimed. 

“He must be out gathering herbs,” said Patchmoon. “Don’t disturb him,” he added, seeing his kits creep along the bank of the stream as they followed the medicine cat’s scent.  
The gray and white tom suddenly appeared from behind a bush. He yowled and dropped a bundle of herbs he was carrying as the apprentices pounced on him. 

“Ha! We scared you!” exclaimed Firpaw.

“You sure did,” Hemlocktail panted. 

“Sorry, we’ll help you pick up the herbs,” said Sprucepaw, guilt flashing in his eyes as he scooped up some tansy with his paw. 

“Wow…Wolfstar sent a lot of you here,” Hemlocktail noted. 

“Yeah, seemed really worried about prey running low, even though we haven’t had a day where we went hungry yet,” said Grayspots.

“Well, it’s only natural that a leader worries about their Clan,” said Hemlocktail. 

“Yeah, well I still think we didn’t have to walk all this way out in the cold,” growled Thornfire.

“Alright, enough chatting,” said Eagledawn. “We’d better start looking for some prey.”

* Suddenly, Hemlocktail’s fur rose along his spine. He was staring down at some of the spilled herbs with wide, horrified eyes. With a jolt, Lynxheart realized that they’d suddenly shriveled up, and were crumbling into a black dust  
.  
“They…they just…died…” Hemlocktail stammered.

“Oh no, is it our fault!?” Sprucepaw gasped.

“N—no, I don’t think so.” Hemlocktail was trembling violently from head to tail. 

“Hemlocktail, what’s wrong!?” Dusklight exclaimed.

“It’s an omen,” the medicine cat choked out. His green eyes were bulging in terror. His voice was choked, as if he could barely get out the words. “S--something very b--bad is going to happen…or is h--happening…we n--need to get back to camp, now.”

Lynxheart’s heart pounded in his ears as he and the others hurried back to the camp. Sunwhisker was in the lead, desperate to get back to Lakefrost and the kits. Dread gripped Lynxheart’s gut, the sensation growing worse as they neared the camp. 

_Oh please, StarClan, whatever’s going on, let us get there in time to help our Clan mates…_

They were several fox-lengths away from the camp entrance when they all stopped dead in their tracks. The air was thick with the unmistakable smell of blood. It was everywhere, choking Lynxheart and overlaying all the other scents. His heart hammered in his chest—he’d never smelled so much blood in his life...it had to be coming from more than one cat. 

“LAKEFROST!” Sunwhisker wailed, becoming a yellow flash as he streaked towards the camp. The scent of fear wafted from the entire patrol, mixing with the blood scent to create a nauseating reek. 

“Oh, StarClan…what’s happened?” Grayspots whispered. His legs were trembling so hard it seemed he might fall over. 

Up ahead, Sunwhisker dashed into the camp entrance. A few moments later, they heard his scream. 

_“NOOOOO!!!!”_

Everyone jumped. Their fur bristled to twice its size and their eyes grew bright with fear. Lynxheart pressed up against Dusklight as Sunwhisker let out another agonized howl. Eventually, Lynxheart managed to put one paw in front of the other, and force himself to walk to the camp, everyone else moving just as slowly. Patchmoon was the first to reach the entrance. 

“Oh…StarClan…no…” the black and white tom’s voice was barely audible. 

Fighting to stay standing upwards as his legs wobbled violently, Lynxheart entered the camp, and immediately vomited at what he saw. Everything was covered in blood—the grass, the bushes, the tree trunks…everything. Among the crimson puddles were bits of fur and flesh. Bundles of bloody, exposed flesh were scattered throughout the clearing, with loose patches of fur clinging to them. Although unrecognizable, everyone knew what they were…

They were looking at the mangled bodies of their Clan mates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Book 1


End file.
